Potential Nationals First Base Option Off Market After Batting Champ Finds New Home

The Washington Nationals have seen another potential option come off the board.

Dark blue Washington Nationals hat sitting on light brown mitt | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

At this stage of the offseason, options on the free agency market are dwindling for the Washington Nationals when it comes to improving their big league roster.

While they were never expected to be major players, there were enough holes at catcher, first base and across their pitching staff that some sort of additions were expected to be made. However -- outside of trading for star catching prospect Harry Ford -- it seems like the front office is content with going into this year with a pieced together pitching unit and situation at first base.

Someone who was floated as a possible solution for the Nationals at the cold corner was Luis Arraez. The three-time batting champion would give Washington's lineup a boost when it comes to pure hitting, which would have been a welcome thing after multiple seasons of offensive struggles.

But Arraez is no longer on the market, as Jorge Castillo of ESPN reported the three-time All-Star and the San Francisco Giants agreed to a one-year contract.

Luis Arraez, Giants Agree to One-Year, $12 Million Deal

Luis Arraez of the San Diego Padres | Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

Bob Nightengale of USA Today then later reported it's for $12 million, which was a bit under his projected market value of $14 million, according to Spotrac. Arraez is expected to play second base for the Giants, which was the position he was seeking this winter.

Nightengale later added that the 28-year-old turned down multi-year offers from other teams around the league to ensure he would play second base. It's unclear if the Nationals were ever in these sweepstakes or not.

Arraez rejected several multi-year offers from other teams in order to play second base. The Giants now have their infield set https://t.co/Rbqx02o8qs

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) February 1, 2026

Based on the amount of money Arraez eventually signed for and the fact he wanted to play second base in 2026, it would have been surprising to see Washington get involved with the veteran. While there are benefits from having him on the roster, there are also some concerns.

Of course, the biggest strength that Arraez brings to the table is his ability to hit. The three-time batting champion has an absurd .317 career average and he rarely strikes out. Picturing him creating traffic on the basepaths for the young sluggers in this Nationals lineup is one of the reasons why he was linked to Washington so often this winter.

However, Arraez's OPS+ figure dropped below the league average of 100 this past season. While it was just barely under at 99, he didn't have a great campaign with his numbers reducing across the board. Add that in with power numbers that are virtually non-existent, and it's easy to see why teams across the MLB were a bit leery to sign him.

For the Nationals, this is now another first base option that is no longer on the market. And while the interest in Arraez might have not fully been there, their situation at an important position continues to look bleak heading into Opening Day.