The Nationals have plenty to sort through this winter, and the clearest path forward starts with trimming away the pieces that didn’t hold up in 2026.
Washington had real positives last season. Cade Cavalli emerged, CJ Abrams and James Wood became All-Stars, and the farm system got a boost with a long list of forward-looking prospects, including first-round pick Chris Hacopian.
Connelly Early also came in as a notable addition, one who projects to be a consistent rotation arm for all five of his remaining years of team control. The team was competitive too, at least until August.
But the rough edges were impossible to ignore. The bullpen was a source of frustration from April through September.
The Miles Mikolas and Zach Littell experiments fell flat. Dylan Crews didn’t make the kind of jump many expected, and that has created uncertainty about where he fits long term.
That leaves Paul Toboni with a clear job: make this roster better. With the farm system upgraded and young talent already making noise, the expectation is that Washington will look to free agency for proven big league help to support the core already in place. Not a reckless all-in move, but a real effort to add players who can help the Nationals win more meaningful games and get closer to October.
If that’s the plan, there are at least three players from last year’s roster who should not be back.
Jose Tena’s season at designated hitter was hard to defend. In 114 games, he hit .222 with a .302 on-base percentage and a .370 slugging percentage, along with 7 home runs and -0.5 WAR.
He struck out about one-third of the time and collected hits in only 57 of his 288 plate appearances. For a Nationals offense that still finished as a top-five group in baseball, the DH spot should be adding thump, not dragging things down.
Drew Millas also made a weak case to stick around as a long-term backup behind Keibert Ruiz. He finished with a .185 batting average, a .277 OBP, a .262 SLG, 2 home runs and -0.6 WAR in 2026.
The Nationals brought in Harry Ford before the season, and Riley Adams’ move into free agency leaves the club needing another catcher, but the cleaner answer looks like an outside addition. A more established pairing of Ruiz and Ford handling most of the 182 games would make a lot more sense than handing that much work to a bat that never got going.
Then there’s Max Kranick, who simply had too rough a year to feel secure. In 17 games, he posted a 9.33 ERA over 18.1 innings, with 13 walks and 11 strikeouts.
He allowed 19 earned runs and carried a 13.3/H9 mark, a brutal combination for a reliever whose main job is to get outs and stop innings from spiraling. The bullpen was a revolving door all year, especially down the stretch, and not every arm was a miss - Eddy Yean and Will Dion looked like hits - but Kranick was not one of them.
Washington’s bullpen needs major attention after shattering the all-time blown saves record, and players at Kranick’s level do not fit on a team trying to win. If Toboni makes only limited changes around the edges, even that might not be enough to bring Kranick back into the fold.
In Other News...
Nationals Offseason Plan Comes Down To Two Key Lineup Upgrades
The Nationals offseason is shaping up around offense, and the front office has two clear places to look if it wants to make the lineup sturdier for 2026. Washington finished 77-85 and missed the playoffs for a seventh straight year, but the late-season extension for Cade Cavalli showed the club is willing to commit when it sees a player worth building around. The next step is sorting out the everyday lineup, where the infield alignment may be in flux if CJ Abrams shifts to second base.
A shortstop addition would help stabilize the middle of the diamond, and Mauricio Dubon has been floated as one possible fit because of the versatility he brings. The other opening is at designated hitter, where production lagged far enough behind the rest of the roster to make it a priority rather than a luxury. Brandon Lowe is one name tied to that spot, giving Washington a possible upgrade path if it decides to attack both needs rather than patching only one. [Read more 🡒]
Nationals May Have A Bigger Jacob Young Decision Than Fans Realize
The Nationals offseason checklist is starting to look bigger than just adding help, because Jacob Young has emerged as one of the more interesting trade chips on the roster. New York has already shown interest in the center fielder, and it is easy to see why: Young has taken steps forward at the plate while continuing to give Washington value with his glove in center field.
For the Nationals, the question is whether that combination is better used as part of a deal that can bring back pieces for the long term. Moving Young would also clear a lane for Dylan Crews to see more time in center, which would fit the clubs broader timeline as it tries to build toward a better run in 2027. Even with that logic, deciding to part with a player who has grown into a useful regular is not the kind of move Washington can make lightly. [Read more 🡒]
Nationals Face A Lerner Question Fans Are Tired Of Asking
The Nationals have spent the past few seasons trying to claw back into relevance, and last years step forward under new leadership gave the organization a little more room to dream about what comes next. But money still hangs over everything in Washington, where the club carries the smallest payroll in baseball by $25 million and has not made a major free-agent splash since the 2020-21 offseason.
That is why this winter feels different, at least on paper. The improvement from last season has raised the expectation that the Nationals could finally push a bit harder to strengthen the roster, and the looming possibility of a salary floor in a future lockout could add another layer to the decision-making. For fans who have spent years asking when the franchise would seriously spend again, the offseason is shaping up as another test of how far ownership is willing to go. [Read more 🡒]