Washington Nationals Signing Elite Starting Pitcher Comes Down to One Thing

If the Washington Nationals are going to upgrade their starting pitching rotation, that will all come down to one thing.

Sep 13, 2022; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Nationals owner Mark Lerner on the field before the game against the Baltimore Orioles at Nationals Park | Brad Mills-Imagn Images

The Washington Nationals have a lot to think about heading into this offseason.

With multiple past and present star prospects now featured on the roster, they are the closest they've been to contending in a long time following their decision to start rebuilding.

That's why this winter is so interesting for the Nationals.

They can continue on their current path where they let the young players develop at their own pace, hoping they eventually all hit and become Major League stars, or they can jumpstart things and go big-game hunting in free agency to bring in impact bats and pitchers.

If they decide to go with the latter strategy, then starting pitching is something this front office must target once Patrick Corbin's contract comes off the books.

While DJ Herz has started to look like a top-of-the-rotation guy in the second half, and someone who can be paired with Mackenzie Gore, that duo doesn't necessarily look like one that would be anchoring a contending team.

Washington has the ability to go out and land one of the top arms who are scheduled to hit the market. Whether that's previous Cy Young winners Corbin Burnes and Shane Bieber, or consistently great starter Max Fried, this rotation could look a lot different on Opening Day in 2025.

But for that to happen, Spencer Nusbaum of The Washington Post says it will come down to one simple thing.

"There won't be a shortage of options — if ownership is willing to spend," he writes.

That's really the crux of everything surrounding the Nationals as they get ready for this offseason. Their ownership group will have the opportunity to spend money if they see fit, but it's not a given they are willing to do so depending on how they view the state of this team.

If they still think Washington is a few years away from actually being able to compete, then there's a good chance they will just sit back and let the young players get more reps at this level before deciding to open up their checkbook and land established veterans.

Because of that, it's hard to predict what the Nationals might do this winter.

There are plenty of players scheduled to be free agents who could come in and help this roster, but if the ownership group isn't willing to make that a reality, then they will be on the sidelines once again.