Washington Nationals Named ‘Sleeper Team’ for Superstar Free Agent Next Offseason
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Washington Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo was ready to spend money this offseason should the opportunity present itself to make upgrades to the roster.
However, it quickly became apparent that the kind of commitment it would take to land established players this offseason was exorbitant. Players were signing record-setting contracts and the Nationals weren’t yet in a position to spend that kind of money.
Instead, they made short-term commitments to veterans who can help improve the team’s floor in 2025 as the young players continue their development.
Designated hitter Josh Bell, starting pitcher Mike Soroka and potential closer Jorge Lopez all signed one-year deals. Trevor Williams re-signed with Washington on a two-year deal. Nathaniel Lowe was acquired from the Texas Rangers to shore up first base.
All of those players bring something to the team that was missing in 2024 and should lead to improvements in the win column.
If the Nationals are going to make a jump in the standings, it will be on the back of their emerging young core. All-Star shortstop CJ Abrams, second baseman Luis Garcia Jr. and left fielder James Wood have already established themselves as everyday Major Leaguers.
Gold Glove-caliber center fielder Jacob Young can do the same with improvements at the plate. Projected right fielder Dylan Crews, one of the top prospects in the game, is looking to solidify the outfield.
On the mound, MacKenzie Gore, Jake Irvin, DJ Herz and Mitchell Parker give the team a nice nucleus to build off of. Cade Cavalli, Josiah Gray and Jackson Rutledge are looking to make their presence felt as well.
Those youngsters, along with the next two waves of prospects Washington has working their way through the system, are who will determine how far this franchise goes in the near future.
They will also be the selling point when talking to prospective free agents who could be added as the final piece of the puzzle to push them out of the rebuild and into playoff contenders.
Who could they have their sights set on?
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of the Toronto Blue Jays.
The two sides were unable to hammer out an extension before his self-imposed deadline of the start of spring training. Rumors are now going to swirl about his future as he seems destined to hit the open market at the end of the season.
Over at CBS Sports, their MLB writers made some predictions on where the superstar slugger would end up. R.J. Anderson believes an argument could be made that he will be in Washington’s Opening Day lineup in 2026.
Mike Axisa believes the same.
“The Nationals are my sleeper team. We know they can spend big on free agents, as they've done it plenty over the years, and Guerrero is young enough that his peak aligns nicely with Washington's core of CJ Abrams, Dylan Crews, James Wood, et al. He makes a lot of sense for them.”
The Blue Jays star will be only 27 years old when Opening Day rolls around in 2026. That makes it easier for teams to commit a lucrative long-term contract to him as whoever is lucky enough to sign him will have him for his prime years.
Capable of playing both corner infield spots, he would help shore things up in the infield. He could always take some at-bats as the designated hitter should players emerge as everyday options at first and third base as well.
It won’t be cheap, but the Nationals should aggressively pursue Guerrero should he hit the market.
