Washington Nationals Should Approach All-Star Free Agent with Caution
The Washington Nationals have been connected to many players in free agency this offseason.
With money coming off the payroll, they are ready to spend some cash to upgrade the roster. With some high-upside young players already making an impact at the Major League level, the time is now to make some splashes.
One of the things the Nationals will be on the lookout for is a power hitter. They were near the bottom of baseball last season in home runs and could use a bopper in the middle of their order to make life easier for everyone else.
If that player comes in the form of a first baseman, even better. An upgrade is needed there after Joey Gallo, Joey Meneses and Yuan Yepez handled most of the reps in 2024.
Luckily for Washington, there are several options. If it goes for the top of the market, the Nats will find someone they have some familiarity with — Pete Alonso of the New York Mets.
The power-hitting first baseman has terrorized the Nationals throughout his career. In 393 plate appearances, he has recorded a slash line of .305/.392/.619 with 28 home runs, 19 doubles and 69 RBI.
He has found plenty of success at Nationals Park, and it would certainly be nicer to have Alonso on their side than attempting to get him out.
Washington has been regarded as a fit for the star in free agency, but some caution should be exhibited. In the opinion of Kiley McDaniel of ESPN, the Mets slugger is someone teams should be wary of in free agency, and not just the Nationals.
“Alonso turns 30 in December, is coming off the worst power season of his career and has essentially never been a clear positive on the basepaths or defensively while playing the least valuable position on the field. These are the basic first arguments that have been commonplace in the game since Moneyball started the analytics era: Never give top-of-the-market money to players like this.”
McDaniel’s projections have him landing a six-year, $159 million contract. That's a high number, one that the MLB experts admits is fueled by Mets owner Steve Cohen, who seems to have an endless supply of cash and the Mets will see nearly $200 million come off their books this winter.
He also wrote that his projection would drop to about $134 million if it was known that the Mets were out on Alonso. But, all signs point toward the Mets and their president of baseball operations, David Stearns, being willing to spend whatever it takes to land their guys.
That should be a cause for concern for a team such as the Nationals. There is no reason to get into a bidding war when other affordable options exist. McDaniel pointed toward another free-agent first baseman like Christian Walker, who he estimated might get half of what Alonso will get.
Given all of Washington's needs, that may be a sounder strategy. Walker is older than Alonso but has produced similar numbers at the plate in recent years and is lightyears ahead as a defender, providing value even if his production slips a bit as a hitter.
