Nats Off-Season Christmas List, Part 1

As my kids often remind me, Christmas is less than 10 weeks away. Their lists are being developed and refined on a seemingly daily basis. What is on the Nats wish list; what are they hoping to find wrapped in bright paper under their tree this off-season?

The Nationals’ rebuilding process took a significant step forward during the 2024 season.  Some of the big questions looming over the franchise have been answered or at least have partial answers.  Was the return for Juan Soto enough?  Is Dylan Crews a legit player?  Has the Nationals’ player development improved?  There is much reason for optimism headed into the 2025 season and beyond.  But there is also room for improvement, both within the roster (see Rebecca's prior NFR analysis: https://www.natsfamilyreport.com/post/off-season-homework-assignments-part-1) and some holes on the roster that need to be filled.  With the World Series just about to begin, the Nats, along with 27 other teams, are a step closer to the off-season.  What do the Nats need to figure out this winter?

Here is Nats Family Report’s look at the Top 5 off-season needs for the Nationals.  

Part 1

Honorable Mention: Bullpen Help

It’s not a lack of significance that keeps bullpen help from cracking the Top 5 needs.  Yes, it’s that there are other needs that are significantly more glaring and desperate.  But it’s also that Mike Rizzo has proven time and time again that he is able to find diamonds for the bullpen in players that appear only as coal to other teams and front offices.   The core of the bullpen - Finnegan, Law, Garcia, Rainey, and Ferrer - is… fine, and there’s reason to hope for improvement from Garcia, Rainey and Ferrer in 2025.  But ONE more key piece to the bullpen puzzle would be nice.  NFR harbors some hope that a natural closer can be secured via trade or free agency, sliding Finnegan to set-up duty, with Law and Ferrer sharing 7th-inning responsibilities.  Clay Holmes, Luke Weaver, and Jose LeClerc are all intriguing front-line bullpen guys that would undoubtedly strengthen the options Davey has to call on late in a ballgame. Pursuing an A-list reliever may prove impractical considering the depth of the other roster needs, but one more reliable bullpen arm should definitely be on Mike Rizzo’s Christmas list.

#5 - Designated Hitter

The Nationals got some short-term offensive boosts from Jose Tena, Juan Yepez, and Andres Chaparro.  But those boosts were like fireworks - flashy initially, but quickly fading away.  Any of those players, plus Stone Garrett, could figure into the DH mix for next season.  But even a VERY optimistic projection of a dream offensive season from one of those guys at DH in 2025 would still likely pale in comparison to what the top-tier teams got from their DH.  The Orioles for instance:

Anthony Santander - 44 HR, 102 RBI, .814 OPS

Players like Vinnie Pasquantino (19HR/97RBI, and he missed the month of September) and Nats’ short-timer favorites Jesse Winker and Kyle Schwarber offer more pop and production than what the Nationals got out of their DH spot this past season.  

Even with only a .235 BA, output like Santander is what the Nats are looking for. 

Santander is a 30-year old free agent, and a very viable target for the Nats.  The four Nats players previously mentioned are all good players with some upside yet to be realized, but it’s hard to imagine any of them are 40HR/100RBI guys moving forward.  There are a few other mix-and-match free agent options, but they also become part of the discussion as they overlap with other needs on this list.

#4 - Stability at 3B

2024 was a roller coaster at 3B, with the Nats seemingly able to get offense or defense from the player filling that spot, but rarely both.  Nick Senzel’s season got off to a terribly unlucky start with the Opening Day broken hand, and he never really recovered, though he certainly did get a fair shot at laying claim to being the everyday 3B.  Ildemaro Vargas, Trey Lipscomb, and Jose Tena all had positive moments, but it’s hard to see any of their performances in 2024 as motivation to pencil them in for 2025.  THE presumed answer at 3B - Brady House - may not be too far away, but he also may not be the answer on Opening Day 2025.

If House has a strong spring, and his call-up by ⅓ mark of the season seems likely, then a starting platoon of Tena (against RHP), Lipscomb (against LHP), and Vargas (spot starts) may be a viable option.  

Alex Bregman will hit the free agent market this winter, and he would provide defensive competence and offensive power, but comes with both a high price tag, probably $25mil/year or more (Spotrac projects him at a $27mil/year AAV over 6 years), and a longer-term deal.  There is an LSU connection between Bregman and Crews, which is intriguing, but signing Bregman feels like a longshot, and probably not a wise move in the long run,  Additionally, the Astros may be very motivated to re-sign him and keep their core together for another run at playoff glory.  

The rest of the 3B free agent market is…underwhelming.  Gio Urshela, Eugenio Suarez, and Yoan Moncada are the "highlights", and all of them come with some question marks either because of age and/or production.  Suarez is the most interesting of this group, having hit 30HR/100RBI this past year, but he’ll turn 34 next July, and while his offensive output is still enough to make a Nats fan drool, his trendline is downward, and his defense is above-average, but not exceptional.  At his age, he’s also probably looking for one more contract to finish out his career (3-5 years). To complicate matters further, the D-Backs have a $15 million team option for Suarez for 2025.

Considering the prospect power down on the farm, if the Nats were to look to the FA market for a 3B, it would likely be for the short term.  A platoon to start while waiting for Brady (bring down the) House is probably the Nats best option for 2025, but an increased measure of stability and defensive consistency is a must.  

Check back later in the week for Part 2!