Washington Nationals Should Consider Value Signings Before Spring Training
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Washington Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo has done a solid job of addressing some of the team’s needs that existed coming into the offseason.
First base has been upgraded in major fashion with Nathaniel Lowe acquired in a trade from the Texas Rangers to take over as the everyday starter. Veteran Josh Bell was signed as insurance and will take over as the designated hitter.
On the mound, Trevor Williams was re-signed and Mike Soroka was brought in, both being told they would be starting pitchers. Jorge Lopez is a solid addition to the bullpen and could be the closer after Kyle Finnegan was non-tendered.
Veteran Amed Rosario was also signed to provide depth across the diamond for manager Dave Martinez.
While those moves are all positive, there were a lot of areas that needed to be upgraded. With just a few weeks until Spring Training gets underway, there are still some holes that exist on the roster.
Adding pieces to the roster right before or during camp isn’t a rare occurrence for the Nationals. It is something that has worked in their favor in the past, as Jesse Winker, Derek Law and Jacob Barnes were all late additions who performed for the Major League team.
Who could be the 2025 version of those players?
Arguably the biggest is at third base, where the team doesn’t currently have a starter locked in.
Jose Tena, Trey Lipscomb and Brady House are all going to receive opportunities to earn the job. Rosario could certainly factor into the mix as well, but it would not be shocking to see them add a veteran to the mix.
Bobby Blanco of Masn suggested three players who could fit the bill for Washington — Yoan Moncada, Jace Peterson and Luis Urias.
Moncada has struggled to stay healthy in recent years but carries the most upside of those three options with two 4.0+ WAR seasons on his resume. A change of scenery and a chance to start again could do him well.
Peterson, like Rosario, offers elite versatility as he has played every position at the Major League level except catcher. Adding another veteran presence to such a young clubhouse is never a bad thing.
Urias is soft-hitting but would provide the team with excellent defense at the hot corner.
Of course, some fans would love to see the team plug the need at third base with Alex Bregman, a two-time World Series champion and All-Star.
But that kind of splash does not seem to be remotely close to what the franchise is planning. Given his age and contract demands, a low-cost veteran addition is the most likely move as they save a splash acquisition for next offseason.
