Nationals Not Listed As Potential Suitor for Much-Needed Top Free Agents
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It's hard to get a gauge for how the Washington Nationals are going to operate this offseason.
After hiring Paul Toboni to become their new president of baseball operations, the Nationals have focused on deciding who will be part of this organization going forward, dismissing many longtime executives and plucking an up-and-coming executive away from the Boston Red Sox.
There's still time for Toboni to get his front office set up the way he likes before diving into roster transactions this winter. But once the World Series comes to a close, Washington will have to be ready if they plan on bringing in some high-profile upgrades.
Starting pitching is going to be a hot topic of discussion in free agency for the Nationals based on how poorly that unit performed throughout the 2025 campaign. And the good news is there appears to be an abundance of solid starters who will be on the open market.
Michael King and Framber Valdez are two of the best whom are expected to be available. Landing either of these two would be a huge boost for Washington to give themselves a frontline starter alongside MacKenzie Gore.
Nationals Not Listed As Possible Suitors for Michael King, Framber Valdez
However, Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report doesn't see the Nationals as one of the top suitors for either one of the starters. In a list that he compiled for both King and Valdez, Washington did not make the cut.
Considering they have a plethora of outfielders and young pieces across their infield outside of first base, spending money on starting pitching seems like something the ownership group and front office should do this winter.
Out of the two, King would be the best fit from a financial standpoint. Spotrac has his market value at four years and just under $92 million, which should be something the Nationals are interested in to boost their rotation.
Michael King, Nasty 89mph Changeup. 👌
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) September 21, 2025
4th K pic.twitter.com/DRh4bNOihr
He would likely slot right into the No. 2 spot behind Gore, pushing Cade Cavalli, Brad Lord and the returning Josiah Gray down the order. Of course, after all of the injury issues Washington has dealt with when it comes to their pitchers, the thought of signing King to a lucrative deal might make them a bit nervous after he missed half of the 2025 season.
Often times, teams get what they pay for, and if the Nationals want to make a splash and add one of the premier starting pitchers in Major League Baseball, then Valdez should be a real option for them considering what he's done during his career with a 3.36 ERA and 124 ERA+ across 188 big league appearances (166 starts). But that is a huge longshot considering Spotrac's market value has Valdez getting something in the six-year, $200 million range.
All in all, it's not surprising to see Washington omitted from a list of possible suitors for the star left-hander. However, King should be a target of theirs this winter, so not seeing him on Rymer's list was a bit disappointing.
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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