Nationals Free Agency: Which players just make sense?

That time of year has come again: the offseason. It will be a long winter without baseball, but this year, the Nationals finally look like they will be spenders again after not being so since Winter 2018. It’s the perfect time to be spenders as the Nationals are starting to see the fruits of their labor shine. CJ Abrams is looking like a franchise face. James Wood and Dylan Crews look extremely promising. MacKenzie Gore, Mitchell Parker and D.J. Herz all had excellent 2024 campaigns for the rotation. Kyle Finnegan is becoming a solid closing option for the Nationals. It is now time to spend. But who are the players that make the most sense for this team? Let’s take a look at this year’s free agents.

JUAN SOTO

This is the obvious one. Who would not want to see No. 22 come back home to D.C.? He was ridiculous this season, finishing third in OPS at .988,  setting a career-high with 41 home runs, and it’s a damn shame he has to fight against Aaron Judge and Bobby Witt Jr. for AL MVP. He started his career in the nation’s capital at age 19 with a home run in his first big league at bat. He won a title with this team in 2019, the batting crown in 2020, and should have been MVP in 2021. He has even been quoted as saying he did not want to leave D.C. Imagine an outfield featuring the likes of Soto, Crews or Wood and Jacob Young. That would be incredible! But the issue? His agent is Scott Boras. In 2022, the Nats tried to sign him to a 14-year extension worth $440 million. But Boras told Juan not to bite at this apple, and he wound up getting traded to the Padres on Aug. 2, 2022. The real question will be whether the Lerners will go all out and spend at least $600 million to bring him back to D.C. and outbid the likes of the Yankees or rival Mets and even the World Champion Dodgers. Now that the Nationals are back in contention, it’s time to start spending big, and that time is now. Juan Soto should and will come back to Washington.

MAX FRIED

A pitching upgrade should be very much sought after by Washington this offseason. The Nationals rotation is going to need some veteran help. Now that Patrick Corbin’s contract is officially up, it’s time for the Nationals to find a new veteran pitcher to help the likes of Gore, Parker, Herz and even Cade Cavalli develop. Max Fried has been an absolute menace against Washington in the 22 games he has pitched against them for the Braves: a 3.97 ERA and an 8-5 record, to be exact. Fried would also be coming over from an Atlanta side with the third-best team starter ERA. The one negative is this is another southpaw, and the Nats already have a ton of left-handers in this rotation. But it’s also worth taking away one of Atlanta’s key weapons, this free agency, to help bolster the rotation.

PETE ALONSO

This is purely for power. The Nationals ranked dead last in the National League and second-to-last in baseball in home runs as a team, only two above the last-place Chicago White Sox. They had 15 less than the next closest NL team. So Pete Alonso is strictly to sign a power bat. Well, that and he can help create a culture in the clubhouse that would make him an instant fan favorite instead of a hated opponent. Do you want to talk about a guy who has killed the Nationals throughout his career? The Polar Bear has hit .305 with 28 home runs and 69 RBIs in 92 games against Washington. Alonso might not have had as strong of a season in 2024, but he’s incredibly durable and barely misses games due to injury. It would also plug up the first base fielding issues since Juan Yepez, Joey Gallo and Joey Meneses were not great fielders at the right corner. One negative, however, is he strikes out a ton. I mean a ton. A .247 K% is not great, but maybe some work with Darnell Coles can help him settle down his swing-happy approach. Plus, a bonus is you take away a Mets fan favorite and make him a traitor to Queens.

CHRISTIAN WALKER

This is another one that, in my opinion, makes more sense. You need power. Christian Walker would be a great substitute if Pete Alonso did not end up in the nation’s capital. This is a signing that feels like something Mike Rizzo would do. It’s a perfect fit. He’s a gold-glove caliber first baseman who provides pop in the middle of the order. He doesn’t strike out often, but he also doesn’t walk a ton. Alonso and Walker are both good fits, so first base will be a fascinating watch for the Nationals this offseason.

ANTHONY SANTANDER

This is Plan B if Soto does not end up in the District. Santander is another one of these players that is such a Rizzo signing. Surprisingly, he was a key in the last two seasons for the Orioles and was the one mainstay of the entire rebuild under Mike Elias. Who would’ve thought that a guy taken in Rule 5 from Cleveland would become the face of a playoff team? The eight-year Oriole set career highs in home runs (44), RBI (102), and the entire 162-game season OPS (.814) and has started to tone down the number of strikeouts. He dropped his strikeout percentage just less than four total points in 2024. This guy will fit in well with Coles’ philosophy of hitting, as he’s started to be more patient on the plate and is getting more walks per season. He also comes up clutch a ton, providing walk-offs and grand slams, something that the Nationals would routinely come up short on this past season.

JACK FLAHERTY

Man, I did not expect to be repeating his name after falling off with St. Louis in 2023. Detroit completely revived this man’s career in 2024, and then he won a World Series with the Dodgers after getting dealt at the deadline. The Burbank native finished with a 10.8 K/9 ratio, had 194 strikeouts with Detroit and LA, and finished 13-7 with a 3.17 ERA. What a massive improvement from his 2023 season with a 4.99 ERA, only 148 strikeouts and a 1.58 WHIP. That slider is one of the most underrated pitches in all of baseball. The movement is something I haven’t seen since Corey Kluber; it is that good. This is the perfect type of pitcher to go after since he’s a veteran presence but isn’t that old (he’s only 29). Additionally, it adds a right-hander to a rotation that DESPERATELY needs more right-handed pitching.

JOC PEDERSON

This is more for depth. Yes, Pederson is starting-caliber, but this is more of a depth piece when looking at this Nationals team. He provides an above-average arm and has some good pop. He only played a year with the D-backs last season, but he still made a decent impact for Arizona: a .275 average with 23 home runs. This makes sense as a starter only if you can’t get Soto or Santander, as it most likely moves Wood to DH. We did not see a lot of good fielding moments from James Wood, so Pederson provides a good glove in left field to pair along with Young in center. This makes more sense for a small, $10 million, one-year deal with a player and/or club option.

NATHAN EOVALDI

When the Nationals eventually get to the playoffs again, they will need a pitcher like Playoff Strasburg. Might we present to you Nathan Eovaldi, who won a title with the 2023 Rangers. Over two seasons in the Heart of Texas, the soon-to-be 35-year-old had a 3.72 ERA for the Rangers. This is a guy who has an above-average fastball, changeup and cutter. That cutter is one of the best pitches in the sport right now and strikes out hitters at an excellent rate. This pitcher would be a significant veteran presence for a young rotation as the Nationals have. He’d provide good clubhouse leadership, like the type that helped lead the Texas Rangers to their first title in team history in 2023.

Well, those are all of the top free agents that make the most sense for the Nationals. Which ones will they sign? We’ll have to wait and find out. But make no mistake, they’ll be back to spending this offseason.