Nationals Star Second Baseman Reportedly Wants Long-Term Contract From Team
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If everything works out for the Washington Nationals, they're going to have one of the best groups of young talent in Major League Baseball.
Of course, there's still a lot that needs to be accomplished until things get to that point.
James Wood had a great debut season, and he looks like a future star. Jacob Young could become one of the best defensive center fielders during the course of his career. CJ Abrams and Luis Garcia Jr. have a chance to be an All-Star duo up the middle, and Dylan Crews could be the face of this franchise.
That's not even mentioning the plethora of high-ceiling arms already in the rotation and knocking on the door of the Majors.
But, it's not a given any of them will reach their ceilings.
That's why 2025 will be a massive year when it comes to projecting what this group could look like going forward, and while growing pains are expected and a definitive ruling can't be made on the majority of them, seeing what they all do during a full MLB season will be telling.
However, one player who looks like a staple for the Nationals going forward is Garcia.
While Abrams gets a lot of the attention in the lineup, it was the 24-year-old infielder who actually had the highest WAR on the team.
And following a breakout year where he slashed .282/.318/.444 with a career-high 18 homers, 70 home runs, 20 stolen bases and an OPS+ of 115, it sounds like he's looking to stay in Washington for the long term.
Per Andrew Lang of Nats Talk, Garcia wants an extension with the Nationals after changing his representation from the Boras Agency to MAS+.
"... this had us reaching out to sources who have told us that Garcia will be looking for a long-term deal with the Nationals," he reported.
That is huge.
Garcia's ceiling is high after what he just showed this past season, and while he may never reach superstardom like Wood or Crews have the capability of doing, he could become one of the best second basemen in the National League if he continues to progress.
Locking him up on a team-friendly deal would be wise for Washington.
They agreed to a $4.5 million salary for the upcoming campaign, and with two more years of club control remaining, there's not necessarily a rush to get anything done.
But that number will only increase, and if he continues to improve, his value is going to skyrocket if he hits the open market at age 27.
With Garcia looking for an extension to stay with the Nationals, this should be something the front office prioritizes.
