How Nationals Could Be Impacted by Possible Position Change of Luis Garcia Jr.
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There was some interesting news surrounding the Washington Nationals when it was revealed that Luis Garcia Jr. -- the team's everyday second baseman -- was getting some pregame work at first base in what could signal a possible position change.
Based on how the 25-year-old performed last season when he finally broke out and put together a campaign that suggested he could be a cornerstone of this roster going forward, it would have been crazy to suggest he'd end up moving from second base.
But Garcia has regressed both at the plate and defensively this year, putting up an OPS+ number that's below the league average of 100 while owning a defensive runs saved figure that is third-worst among qualified second basemen.
If his offense isn't going to make up for his poor defense at the keystone, then it makes sense for the Nationals to see how he might look at first, giving themselves an opportunity to hold onto the talented youngster while also getting another impactful infielder into the mix.
That could also solve the impending first base issues they are going to face this winter following their decision to move on from Nathaniel Lowe, with Josh Bell set to become a free agent and the outlook of Andres Chaparro and 19th-ranked prospect Yohandy Morales being unclear.
How Garcia's Move To First Base Could Affect Nationals
It's not a given that this is going to happen, so everything below is all purely based on speculation that Garcia is going to adjust well enough to first base that Washington would consider making a change permanent.
With that in mind, there's no doubt that Garcia taking over at first for the long haul would be a massive change that would affect the future of the Nationals, allowing Brady House to permanently take over as the everyday third baseman while either Jose Tena or Nasim Nunez could become the second baseman.
That would get more of Washington's young talent onto the field at the same time, and if Garcia looks like he could be a staple at first base going forward, then they could look to extend him beyond the two years of club control he has remaining that ends after the 2027 season.
The Nationals would have to be very comfortable with that decision in a short period of time, though, because it doesn't sound like Garcia is going to see any game action at first during the remainder of the campaign.
Possible Offseason First Base Targets
First base was a position Washington was rumored to be willing to pay high-end money for this past winter, with names like Pete Alonso and Christian Walker being thrown out there if the front office and ownership group wanted to get aggressive.
That was in a limited market, though, and this upcoming offseason offers plenty of more opportunity to add players, especially on short-term deals if the Nationals want to ease Garcia further into this potential position change. Names like Paul Goldschmidt, Ty France and Wilmer Flores could be possibilities as veteran guys to work alongside Garcia.
But one thing seems certain coming out this: Washington won't be going after any of the high-profile first basemen this winter as they try to solve their opening internally.
