Late-Season Struggles by Abimelec Ortiz Could Force Nationals to Add at First Base
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Much of the attention surrounding the Washington Nationals heading into this offseason is what they are going to do in regards to their pitching staff.
With ace Cade Cavalli coming off a breakout year and locked into a newly-minted extension, the Nationals appear to have two spots open in the rotation with left-handers Connelly Early and Andrew Alvarez likely getting penciled in behind Cavalli. Beyond that, there are major questions marks about the bullpen after the Nationals set the MLB record for most blown saves in a season and once again finished towards the bottom in ERA.
However, some additions could be made to improve the offense, too. And based on the struggles that top prospect Abimelec Ortiz had to finish the 2026 campaign, there's a chance Washington could look to add a player at that position this winter.
Nationals Could Look for Short-Term Help at First Base
Spencer Nusbaum of The Athletic (subscription required) took a look at some possible moves the Nationals might consider making this offseason. And he circled first base as a potential spot after Ortiz slashed .122/.159/.171 across 17 games in September with no home runs, just two doubles, four RBIs and 14 strikeouts to two walks.
"... Ortiz's struggles at the end of last season could make first base a real negative. In this scenario, it would be smart for the Nats to find a fringy left-handed-hitting free agent or trade candidate," the insider wrote.
Known as a power hitter coming up the ranks, Ortiz had a hard time consistently displaying that during his first experience in the bigs. His rough stretch in September caused his season-long slash line to be .188/.228/.344 with five homers, five doubles and 14 RBIs over 44 games. He also struck out 36 times with only seven walks, all while looking a bit overmatched at the plate.
Washington is not giving up on the 24-year-old by any means, though, especially after he was red-hot to start his big league career and was a key return piece in the MacKenzie Gore deal. But because Ortiz has two options remaining, don't be surprised if the Nationals decide to add a short-term solution at first base to pair with Andres Chaparro in a platoon split.
While Paul Toboni and his front office are still thinking long-term, they also want to push this rebuild forward as soon as they can. And to do that, the team needs to win more games, which will be helped if the first base position can give the lineup consistent production throughout the year.
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Brad Wakai graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Journalism. While an undergrad, he worked at the student radio station covering different Penn State athletic programs like football, basketball, volleyball, soccer and other sports. Brad became the Lead Contributor for Nittany Lions Wire of Gannett Media where he continued to cover Penn State athletics. Currently, Brad is the Publisher for Washington Nationals On SI and covers multiple teams across the On SI network. He is the host of the sports podcast I Said What I Said, where he and his co-host discuss topics across the NFL, College Football, the NBA and other sports. You can follow him on Twitter: @bwakai