Washington Nationals Predicted to Sign Former World Series Champion

Will the Washington Nationals look to bolster their starting rotation with a veteran left-hander before Opening Day?

Sep 22, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers starting pitcher Andrew Heaney (44) walks off the field after he pitches against the Seattle Mariners during the fourth inning at Globe Life Field. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

With the start of the regular season getting closer, the Washington Nationals will be excited to get back on the field.

It has been a solid offseason for the Nationals, but some more work could still be done.

Washington will be heading into the 2025 campaign with one of the most young and exciting lineups in baseball. With some players starting to prove that they are All-Star caliber performers and some top prospects on the way, the Nationals will be a fun team to watch at the plate.

However, while their lineup is looking strong, their pitching staff can’t say the same. Both the bullpen and the starting rotation will have some question marks if they don’t make any more moves this offseason.

Considering the starting rotation was fairly poor last year, adding a proven commodity wouldn’t be a bad idea for Washington at this stage.

Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report recently predicted what the starting rotation would look like for the Nationals on Opening Day. He predicted that they would be signing a veteran left-hander, Andrew Heaney, to bolster the rotation.

“Left-hander Andrew Heaney is one of the better starters still available in free agency, and signing him would create some quality depth," he wrote.

With some strong veteran options still available in free agency, Heaney would make a lot of sense for the Nationals. Currently, there are too many sure things in the rotation for Washington heading into the season.

For a team that is hoping to take a step forward after winning 71 games in the last two years, having a proven veteran in the rotation would certainly help.

In 2024, Heaney was solid for the Texas Rangers despite having a poor record. The left-hander totaled a 5-14 record and 4.28 ERA. The 33-year-old certainly deserved a better record based on his efforts but unfortunately was on the wrong end of a lot of decisions.

While he would easily be able to come in and bring some stability to the rotation, he also brings some playoff and championship experience. For the young Washington staff, having a veteran like Heaney around would be beneficial for their development.

Currently, the Nationals have a plethora of options in the rotation, and they might be utilizing a six-man rotation with or without Heaney.

Overall, despite having a lot of options in the rotation, it would behoove Washington to sign a veteran like Heaney to help lead the staff. The Nationals would likely want to keep it at just a one-year deal, and with the southpaw still being on the market, he would likely be satisfied with that at this point.