Nationals Stay Stagnant While NL East Rivals Make Major Offseason Moves

While the Washington Nationals sit back, their NL East rivals got busy.

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It has not been a busy offseason for the Washington Nationals this winter, but that doesn't mean they haven't been affected by what has taken place across the MLB.

On Thursday night, the Hot Stove reached another fever pitch when the two-time defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers agreed to a massive four-year contract with No. 1 free agent Kyle Tucker. That ignited more anger, arguments and speculation about what's to come in Major League Baseball's future when it comes to a potential work stoppage in 2027.

But as far as how the Nationals were affected ahead of the upcoming campaign, the Tucker deal sparked their NL East rivals to make some moves.

Mets Agree to Three-Year, $126 Million Deal With Bo Bichette

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The New York Mets were a finalist for Tucker alongside the Toronto Blue Jays. So when they whiffed on the star outfielder, they decided to make an aggressive pivot on Friday and go after another one of the best free agents on the market.

Will Sammon of The Athletic first reported the Mets agreed to a contract with Bo Bichette. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic later added that the agreed upon deal was for three years and $126 million and opt-outs after the first two seasons.

Source confirms Bichette deal with Mets, first reported by @WillSammon, is for three years, $126M. No deferrals. Opt-outs after years one and two.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) January 16, 2026

What makes this even more interesting is the Philadelphia Phillies believed they were going to land Bichette. Focused on upgrading their lineup, insiders across the board were reporting that it was only a matter of time before the two-time All-Star would end up in the City of Brotherly Love.

However, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported that, despite matching the initial seven-year, $200 million contract Bichette requested, the Phillies lost out on their top target because the Mets swooped in at the last minute with their aggressive offer and won these sweepstakes.

Phillies Agree to Three-Year, $45 Million Contract With J.T. Realmuto

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That caused even more dominoes to fall on Friday, as Philadelphia quickly pivoted and agreed to a three-year, $45 million contract with their longtime catcher J.T. Realmuto, as was first reported by Nightengale.

It seemed like a potential breakup was coming between the two parties. The Phillies seemed keen on using Bichette to upgrade their lineup while searching for different options to use behind the plate. But when the star infielder was no longer available, the two sides came to an agreement on a deal that could pay the veteran up to $60 million, according to Robert Murray of FanSided.

Free-agent catcher J.T. Realmuto and the Philadelphia Phillies are in agreement on a three-year, $45 million contract with a chance to get to $60 million, according to sources familiar with the deal.

— Robert Murray (@ByRobertMurray) January 16, 2026

Meanwhile, the Nationals continue to stay stagnant this winter as spring training draws closer. While that's not a huge surprise based on where they're at in this rebuilding process, it is notable to see two of their prominent division rivals make aggressive moves in this fashion.

Even outside of the big market Phillies and Mets, the Miami Marlins have been more active than Washington when it comes to shipping off their best trade assets, which is something that could have happened for the Nationals this winter when it came to moving MacKenzie Gore or CJ Abrams.

What comes next in the nation's capital will be interesting to see. There's a chance they can still get active like their NL East rivals before the end of the offseason. But until something substantial gets done, the chances of that happening get slimmer by the day.