4 High-End Starting Pitchers Nationals Should Target This Offseason

The Washington Nationals need pitching help before next season.

Much of the attention will be on upgrading the bullpen, and for good reason. However, that doesn't mean the starting rotation couldn't use some help, either. In fact, a former general manager believes improving the starting staff will be the most beneficial thing the Nationals can do to have success next year, which could be how president of baseball operations Paul Toboni views things, as well.

With that in mind, Washington will likely be shopping in a bunch of different aisles during free agency this winter, as they will probably try to address their bullpen, the starting rotation and other areas of the roster through multiple outside additions.

Adding one high-profile starting arm would do wonders for this team, which is why these four pitchers are who the Nationals should target this offseason.

Freddy Peralta

The clear prize in free agency is going to be two-time AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal. While landing him would be monstrous for Washington, that is not realistic. Instead, the Nationals will have to focus their attention elsewhere, and I think Freddy Peralta would be a great addition to this rotation.

For starters, the right-hander has completely turned things around with the Tampa Bay Rays after they acquired him from the New York Mets ahead of the trade deadline this year.

Peralta posted a 3.25 ERA across his 10 regular season starts with the Rays. His ERA+ was 31 points above the league average of 100, while his WHIP got down to a much more recognizable figure of 1.01 compared to the 1.48 he had with the Mets when he owned a 4.99 ERA and ERA+ of 81 across 22 starts. Now, he's a key part of Tampa Bay's rotation in the playoffs, where he gave up just one earned run over 4 1/3 innings pitched against the New York Yankees in the ALDS.

It shouldn't be a surprise that Peralta found his past form with the Rays, a franchise that is known for maximizing the talent of their players. And at the age of 30, he would be a great piece to pair with Cade Cavalli at the top of this Nationals rotation, especially if he pitches like he has for the majority of his career.

Michael King

Michael King isn't scheduled to become a free agent this winter, but he can opt out of his contract to test the open market once again. And according to Jon Heyman of The New York Post (subscription required), that is expected to take place.

King likely will receive a monstrous deal if that does officially happen, so Washington will have to pony up if they want to land the right-hander.

Based on what the 31-year-old has done since becoming a starting pitcher, the Nationals should have significant interest in adding him to their roster. Across three seasons with the San Diego Padres, he owns a 3.15 ERA over 78 appearances (77 starts). He also has 436 strikeouts to 159 walks across 432 innings pitched during that span, and his ERA+ is well over the league average mark at a figure of 131.

While King's "stuff" might have declined this season, with FanGraphs giving him a Stuff+ rating of 95, he was still a high-end starter despite that, which is a good sign that he can continue being a top-of-the-rotation arm as he ages.

Clay Holmes

Clay Holmes is another opt-out candidate, and Heyman expects the right-hander to test the market this winter after he flashed his upside as a starter following his conversion from being a bullpen arm.

In 2025 with the Mets, after he was previously a back-end reliever for the New York Yankees, Holmes posted a 3.53 ERA across 33 appearances (31 starts). He followed that up with an elite stretch of nine games this past season where he had an ERA of 2.39 before his leg was fractured after he was hit by a comebacker. Holmes was dealt to the Chicago Cubs ahead of the trade deadline, but he had a 4.25 ERA in nine starts with the Cubs.

Still, he is an intriguing starting arm based on what he's shown in that role thus far, and Washington should have him circled as a target to pursue in free agency based on how he would fit into this rotation alongside Cavalli, Andrew Alvarez and Connelly Early.

Kevin Gausman

One of the things Washington did ahead of the 2026 campaign was bringing in veteran starters. They signed Miles Mikolas and Zack Littell, with the aim being for that duo to not only eat innings for them, but to also provide leadership and guidance for the franchise's young pitchers.

Unfortunately, their play on the field hurt the Nationals more than their intangibles helped, and that resulted in both being cut before the end of the season.

Going after Kevin Gausman would allow Washington to add a veteran to the mix who also brings much higher upside than Mikolas or Littell did. While Gausman is coming off a down season by his standards where he produced a 4.51 ERA across 32 starts -- 4.38 ERA with the Toronto Blue Jays and 4.83 ERA with the Cubs -- he also recorded an ERA that was below the 4.00 mark in five consecutive seasons before this year (2020 excluded).

At the age of 35, Gausman might no longer be in his prime, but he could still pitch important innings for the Nationals. And depending on what his price tag is, he might be the best option for Washington to pursue in free agency.

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