The Winter Meetings have wrapped, and while the Nationals didn’t make headlines with any splashy additions, the groundwork is clearly being laid for what could be a pivotal offseason under new president of baseball operations Paul Toboni. Washington’s lone move so far-a trade sending reliever Jose A.
Ferrer to the Mariners-was more of a table-setter than a main course. But with the rest of the league starting to move, especially in the wake of some high-profile signings, the pressure is building for the Nats to make their next move.
The biggest shockwave to come out of the Meetings? Pete Alonso landing in Baltimore on a five-year, $155 million deal.
That’s not just a big swing-it’s a statement. The Orioles, already stacked with young talent, just added one of the game’s premier power bats to the middle of their lineup.
And while that’s a win for Baltimore, it may have opened a door for the Nationals.
Let’s connect the dots.
With Alonso now entrenched at first base for the O’s, there’s suddenly a logjam at the position. Ryan Mountcastle, who’s arbitration-eligible and projected to make close to $8 million, is coming off an injury-limited season and hasn’t quite recaptured his 2021 form-when he launched 33 homers and looked like a future cornerstone.
Then there’s Coby Mayo, a former top prospect who just turned 24 and had his first extended look in the majors this year. While Mayo didn’t exactly light it up-batting .217 with 11 homers and a .687 OPS over 85 games-his upside remains intriguing, especially for a team with room to develop young talent.
That’s where the Nationals come in.
Washington has a clear long-term need at first base. Right now, Andrés Chaparro is the only player on the roster with significant experience at the position.
There’s been talk of experimenting with Luis García Jr. or Riley Adams there, but neither is a natural fit. The Nats could use a controllable, high-upside bat at first-someone who could grow with this young core.
Mayo fits that mold.
And here’s where it gets even more interesting: Toboni has a history with Mayo. Back in 2020, when Toboni was running the Red Sox’s amateur scouting department, Mayo was a high schooler with big power and raw tools-exactly the kind of player Toboni would’ve had his eye on.
We already saw Toboni dip into his scouting past when he acquired catching prospect Harry Ford in the Ferrer deal. Ford was a player Toboni knew well from the 2021 MLB Draft cycle.
It’s not a stretch to think he did his homework on Mayo, too.
So, could a deal be brewing between the Nationals and Orioles? It would be unprecedented-these two Beltway neighbors have never completed a trade with each other.
But the pieces are there. The Nationals have MacKenzie Gore, one of the most sought-after arms on the trade market this winter.
With two years of club control left, Gore is a valuable asset, and several teams, including the Orioles, are known to be in the market for starting pitching.
Baltimore, flush with young talent and now crowded at first base, has the prospect depth to make a deal. Mayo, blocked by Alonso, might be the odd man out. And for the Nationals, he could be a long-term solution at a position of need.
Toboni’s approach so far has been methodical. He didn’t force a move in Orlando, but he’s clearly setting the stage for something bigger.
He’s looking to rebuild the farm system, evident in his selection of six players during the minor league phase of the Rule 5 Draft. He’s targeting players with upside and familiarity.
And he’s not afraid to explore new territory-like potentially making history with the first-ever trade between the Nats and O’s.
There’s no guarantee a deal gets done. But with Washington looking to build for the future and Baltimore needing arms to complement its rising offense, the fit is there.
The groundwork has been laid. Now it’s just a matter of whether the two sides are ready to bridge the B-W Parkway and make something happen.