Washington Nationals Predicted to Use Free Agency Over Trades to Upgrade
The Washington Nationals are heading into the offseason looking to make some major upgrades to help this team compete in 2025.
While the last few years haven’t resulted in a lot of wins for the Nationals, they have started to stockpile a lot of young talent that is starting to flourish in the big leagues.
Even though Washington is a very young team, there is a lot of reason to believe that they are going to be ready to be around the 80-win mark in the near future. However, while they have some young talent, they need some veterans to surround them in the lineup.
For the pitching staff, they could use a front-end of the rotation starter as they continue to evaluate what some of the young arms might develop into.
Recently, Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report spoke about what the offseason could look like for the Nationals.
“For starters, it's hard to take Rizzo seriously when he alludes to working the trade market. The Nationals aren't short on young talent, but you have to figure that elite-level prospects like outfielder Dylan Crews, third baseman Brady House and right-hander Travis Sykora are untouchable. And if so, that probably nixes blockbuster possibilities. As for Soto, the Nationals are likely a long shot relative to the New York clubs and the Dodgers. It's easier to imagine them luring Bregman or Alonso, but perhaps only if they outbid teams whose contention windows are more open than theirs.”
Considering Washington won just 71 games last season, trading any of their young prospects at this point seems very unlikely, as this is still a team in rebuilding mode. However, if a talented young player were to become available, that mindset could always change.
The more likely way for the Nationals to improve this winter is via free agency, as the franchise should be willing to spend some money after Patrick Corbin comes off the books.
However, while free agency might be the wise way to upgrade the team, they might have to overspend a tad due to the team not being close to being a contender last season. While free agents will obviously look at the money first, they likely also want to be on a team that can win.
While Washington has a bright future, Mike Rizzo is going to have to pitch free agents on what the plan for the next couple of years is moving forward.
