Nationals Have to Make Important Decision About Key Prospect Before Rule 5 Draft

The Washington Nationals need to decide if they are going to protect this player ahead of the Rule 5 draft.

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The Washington Nationals have tons of talented players on their major league roster and coming up their pipeline, which is a great situation to be in.

But at a certain point, they are going to have to make some tough decisions when it comes to who factors into their long-term plans and who is expendable, especially when it comes to their crowded outfield unit.

Entering the 2025 campaign, it seemed clear that two players were cornerstones to build around; James Wood and Dylan Crews. While Jacob Young has been an excellent defender and Robert Hassell III is someone considered to have a high ceiling, the lack of offense from both didn't put either of them into that category.

However, the breakout of Daylen Lile to close out this past season changed the trajectory of his career, and it basically solidified the outfield unit for the Nationals barring someone getting hurt. Unfortunately for others, that could put them on the outside looking in, and that's the situation Christian Franklin finds himself in.

Will Nationals Protect Christian Franklin Ahead of Rule 5 Draft?

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Acquired as part of the deadline deal that shipped Michael Soroka to the Chicago Cubs, the 25-year-old outfielder had a good showing with Triple-A Rochester when he slashed .290/.382/.427 across 31 games. But whether that's enough for Washington to add him to their 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft isn't clear.

Right now, the Nationals have five outfielders on the 40-man; Wood, Crews, Lile, Young and Hassell. Josh Bell is an impending free agent, so he'll free up a spot when he officially hits the open market. Same with Paul DeJong, which gives Washington the flexibility to pursue a player and protect Franklin if they want to go down that route.

They could also tighten up their catching unit -- which has five players on the 40-man roster, one of which is on the 60-day injured list -- although that is risky considering the injury threat of that position.

Why Nationals Should See What Christian Franklin Can Do

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Franklin isn't a high-pedigree guy by any means. He was a fourth-round pick by the Cubs in 2021, and while he was considered one of their top 30 guys, he never broke through and became one of their premier prospects. Now, he currently is ranked No. 12 in the Nationals' pipeline.

But that doesn't mean he can't be an effective big league player for Washington. During his minor league career, he's shown his ability to get on base at a high clip with an on-base percentage of .393 across 338 games. He also hits for average and has some pop, with him recording double-digit home runs in two out of three years since his debut professional season to go along with a .264 batting average.

Because of that, the Nationals should see what he can do during the 2026 campaign, calling him up if there is an injury or if performances by others ahead of him on the depth chart begins to falter.

Washington might not lose Franklin if they don't protect him ahead of the Rule 5 draft, but if they believe he's going to play a role for them next year, then they should be safe and add him to their 40-man roster to ensure they don't lose him.