Washington Nationals Could Find Slugging First Base Answer in Rule 5 Draft

The Washington Nationals are looking for power at first base in free agency and in the trade market. But, it’s also possible they could find an answer in next month’s Rule 5 Draft.

That draft, held at baseball’s annual winter meetings, is a chance for each team to select eligible prospects who haven’t cracked the Majors yet but could be ready next season.

The Nationals had one of the least productive first base tandems in baseball last year and boosting that position is a priority. Washington has been connected to Pete Alonso, Christian Walker and other talented free agents. There is even talk of St. Louis star Nolan Arenado open to a position change if he’s traded, with first base being that position.

But there is a player in the Rule 5 Draft that is as close to Major League ready as one could get and that is Texas Rangers prospect Blaine Crim.

Baseball America highlighted Crim as a player to watch in next month’s draft.

He was in the Rule 5 Draft last year and was not selected. The Rangers left him unprotected for a second straight year by not placing him on their 40-man roster.

Crim is 27 years old and has played in the minors for five seasons, since the Rangers selected him in the 19th round out of Mississippi College. The advantage he has over other Rule 5 prospects is that he has played two full seasons at the Rangers’ Triple-A affiliate in Round Rock and has a track record for productivity.

He has had four straight 20-home runs season in the minor leagues, starting in 2021. He slashed .277/.370/.469/.839 with 20 home runs and 86 RBI last season and .289/.385/.506/.891 with 22 home runs and 85 RBI in 2023. He’s never hit below .277 in a single minor league season and his OPS has never dipped below .800.

So why isn’t he in the Majors? The Rangers have a durable first baseman in Nathaniel Lowe, who is under team control for two more years and is among the best hitting first baseman in baseball. Crim really has nowhere to go.

Baseball America sees Crim as a “low-risk, low-cost” selection because he can help at team at first base and at designated hitter. Their evaluators compared him to the Ryan Noda. He gave them cheap power as a rookie in 2023, as he hit 16 home runs and drove in 54 runs in 128 games. He is now with the Angels.

Crim is eligible because he’s played at least four minor-league seasons and was signed after age 19. Players signed before 18 have to play at least five years to be eligible. To be protected, a player must be moved to a team’s 40-man roster.

If Washington selects Crim in the MLB portion of the draft, it will pay $100,000 to the Rangers and must put Crim on its 26-man roster and, if they decide not to keep him, must be placed on outright waivers in order to be removed from the 26-man roster in the subsequent season.

Should the player clear waivers, the Nationals can offer him back to the Rangers for $50,000.