Washington Nationals Most Significant Offseason Move Will Make Massive Impact

The Washington Nationals trade to fix one of their biggest issues will be a major move.

Feb 21, 2025; West Palm Beach, FL, USA; Washington Nationals first baseman Nathaniel Lowe (33) poses for a photo during picture day at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches. | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The Washington Nationals are one of the youngest rosters in all of baseball.

To this point, the Nationals have struggled in the five years since winning their first World Series title in franchise history. Without a return to the playoffs and four last place finishes, it has not been a pretty half decade in Washington.

On the bright side, the lean years for the team have put them in a position to acquire numerous elite prospects who they hope will be franchise building blocks moving forward.

In order to try to contend or at least improve upon back-to-back 71-win seasons, the Nationals knew they need more than just high potential prospects, and they showcased that knowledge with an aggressive trade this offseason.

Washington made a deal with the Texas Rangers for one of the better first basemen in all of baseball, sending away left-handed pitcher Robert Garcia in exchange for Nathaniel Lowe.

In a recent article projecting the most significant offseason moves in terms of WAR per position group, Brian Murphy of MLB.com pointed out the Nationals first base group ranking No. 23 in baseball while the FanGraphs projections for 2025 have them cracking the top-ten.

"The lefty-hitting Lowe has compiled a 127 wRC+ and 8.6 WAR since the start of 2022," Murphy wrote. "Although his 16 homers in 2024 were a four-year low, that still exceeded the dinger total from all Nats first basemen last year (14, tied for the second-fewest in MLB)."

While Murphy pointed out Lowe's out-of-character minor struggles in 2024, he is still just 29 years old and the Rangers as a whole had a down season on offense. If he can tap back into the kind of player he was when named a Silver Slugger in 2022, it would go a long way towards fixing the issues in Washington.

The revolving door at first for the Nationals this past season posted an OPS of just .686, meanwhile Lowe's .265/.361/.401 even in a not great year by his standards would vault Washington instantly to at least the middle of the pack.

With a change of scenery and the chance to be a leader on a young roster who is looking to take the next step, it's an opportunity for Lowe to both establish himself as a star once again and help the Nationals get back to contending for at the very least a playoff spot.

If Murphy's projections prove to be accurate, Lowe will not just be Washington's most important offseason move, but potentially one of the most impactful in all of the National League.