One Player Stands Out on List of Washington Nationals Who Are out of Options

The Washington Nationals don't have many players who are out of options, but one stands out on the list based on his standing with the organization going forward.

Sep 27, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Nationals catcher Keibert Ruiz (20) looks to the dugout during the second inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Nationals Park | James A. Pittman-Imagn Images

It will be interesting to see how the Washington Nationals put together their roster in 2025.

Spring will determine a lot of things with multiple battles taking place for some of the openings that are present, but there is expected to be plenty of turnover throughout the season based on performance or getting a look at some other star prospects in the minors.

The Nationals have that ability because they have so many young players in the mix.

In fact, Darragh McDonald of MLB Trade Rumors points out only three expected contributors are out of options during the upcoming campaign.

-Riley Adams, C
-Luis Garcia Jr., 2B
-Keibert Ruiz, C

Luis Garcia Jr. is a non-factor in this conversation.

He had a breakout season in 2024, putting together a year where he was the most consistent offensive player for Washington which established himself as the long-term solution at second base.

Riley Adams is likely to get designated for assignment before Opening Day based on the outlook of the catcher position, so unless he has a great showing during spring training to win the backup job, he'll likely be available for other teams to claim him.

It's Keibert Ruiz who stands out on this list.

One of the prized returns of the Trea Turner and Max Scherzer trade package they got back from the Los Angeles Dodgers, it's fair to say he hasn't quite lived up to expectations.

He's had three full seasons with Washington, and he's failed to put up an OPS+ that was above the league average of 100 in any of them.

Across his 398 games and 1,569 plate appearances, Ruiz has slashed .249/.297/.380 with 40 homers and 174 RBI, disappointing numbers from a catcher who won the Minor League Player of the Year Award with the Dodgers in 2017 and was billed as one of the best all-around prospects at his position.

This is a massive season for Ruiz.

At 26 years old, the Nationals need to see him take the next step forward in his career or else they might start looking for immediate replacements as early as next winter.

They already have started drafting other catchers, signaling they are keeping a close eye on Ruiz.

It doesn't feel like he's in danger of being designated for assignment this year, and with him being out of options, that helps his cause since they don't have a readymade player to take his place just yet.

But this will be something to keep an eye on going forward.