Washington Nationals Shockingly Named Landing Spot for New York Yankees Pitcher
While the season, as a whole, hasn't exactly been much to write home about for the Washington Nationals, there have been plenty of bright spots.
James Wood, Mitchell Parker, Dylan Crews, CJ Abrams, and others have a clear future on the Nationals roster. They look to be four players the team can build around.
If they continue to develop how they're expected to, Washington should be a contending team in the National League East much sooner than some may believe.
That'll depend on many factors, including who the front office signs or trades for in the offseason. If the Nationals want to compete, they should look to add some veteran talent to the roster.
Why not do what the Kansas City Royals did last offseason? Sure, the American League Central is much worse than the NL East, but the Royals just gave a team like Washington the blueprint for what they should do with their young talent.
Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller expects them to be in the mix for a player who could potentially hit the market and be an incredible addition to a team searching for success.
Miller looked at the Gerrit Cole situation with the New York Yankees and listed landing spots for the right-hander, listing the Nationals among the top 10.
"Almost all of that payroll is dead money. They still owe Patrick Corbin $10 million in deferred money in 2025, are paying Max Scherzer's deferred $15 million annually for three more years and need to pay Stephen Strasburg another $131 million over the next half-decade. However, the Nationals just might be in the market for a big-name pitcher this offseason, eager to make the most of a window in which CJ Abrams, Luis Garcia Jr., James Wood and Dylan Crews are all making way less money than what they are worth."
Cole's contract situation will be interesting to follow. If he opts out of his deal, the Yankees could trigger a team option and add another year, making his nine-year deal into a 10-year contract with more money.
However, if they don't do that, the two time Cy Young Award winner will hit the open market.
Cole might want to play for a contender, which Washington likely wouldn't be unless they add others, but money talks.
If the Nationals believe he's the missing piece to help them make the postseason, they could hand him a blank check and walk out of the room.
It's tough to picture a scenario where he leaves New York, but who knows? These things happen.
JON CONAHAN