With the Washington Nationals heading into their final series of the 2026 season, the conversation is already shifting toward the winter. The biggest issue on the table is roster construction, and the pitching staff sits right at the center of it after years of trouble from both the bullpen and the rotation.
How much room president of baseball operations Paul Toboni will actually have to work with remains unclear, even with some huge contracts about to disappear from the books. At the same time, Washington has made real progress on the farm, and that could put several new faces in position to matter for the major league club in 2027. The Nationals want to lean on homegrown talent wherever they can, but that also makes the roster puzzle more crowded.
One path forward is a trade. Sam Sallick of Federal Baseball pointed to three names as possible offseason chips, and all of them come from the mess at first base and the nearby corners of the infield.
Abimelec Ortiz started fast in the majors before hitting a rough patch, and that downturn has opened up plenty of uncertainty at first. Andres Chaparro gave the Nationals a strong second half, but the question is whether that was a real breakthrough or just a hot stretch.
Yohandy Morales brings his own set of questions after tearing through Triple-A and then hitting .279/.279/.651 with four homers, four doubles and 10 RBIs in his first 15 MLB games at age 24. Brady House is the most intriguing of the bunch: a 23-year-old former No. 11 overall pick who has shown both big power and high-end defense, though there are still concerns about strikeouts and whether the bat will settle in.
House plays third base, but even there the path is not clean. Seaver King appears ready for The Show, and the youth movement expected next year could squeeze the picture further.
Ortiz, meanwhile, is the only left-handed platoon bat among Ortiz, Chaparro and Morales, which gives him a built-in lane to keep getting opportunities. Washington also has reason to stay patient with him after trading for him, since this front office still believes in what he can become.
That combination makes a winter deal very possible. Chaparro could be sold as a power bat who can handle both righties and lefties after his strong finish.
Morales has the appeal of a former top 30 prospect with a loud Triple-A track record and a promising big-league debut. House would likely bring back the most interest, given his age, draft pedigree and tools.
The bigger question is what kind of return any of them could fetch. A controllable pitcher, or maybe even two, would fit the Nationals’ needs and could help as soon as 2027. Toboni may not want to move any of these players, but he has already shown he is willing to make a deal if he thinks it helps the franchise.
House looks like the least likely to go, but Chaparro or Morales could be moved if Washington wants to target pitching help that can make an impact sooner rather than later.
In Other News...
Eli Willits Is Forcing His Way Into The Nationals' Future
Eli Willits has gone from intriguing name to one of the clearest reasons for optimism in the Nationals system. The organizations top prospect moved through three minor league levels this season and kept producing at every stop, showing the kind of all-around impact that tends to make a front office pay attention. Baseball America took notice, and so did anyone tracking Washingtons next core.
What stands out most is how complete the profile looks right now. Willits paired extra-base power with speed, drawing plenty of walks while piling up doubles, triples and stolen bases along the way. MLB Pipeline still projects his arrival around the 2028 season, which means there is time for him to keep growing, but the early returns suggest Washington may already have a prospect who is making a real case to shape its future sooner rather than later. [Read more 🡒]
Nationals Prospect Pipeline Just Sent A Message Fans Needed
The Nationals farm system got a jolt of validation from Rochesters run through the International League postseason, where the Red Wings kept turning to familiar prospect names and kept finding answers. Riley Adams, Andrew Pinckney and Cortland Lawson all helped carry the load in a tight championship setting, while the pitching staff had to patch together nine innings with eight arms to get through the final test against Memphis.
For Washington, the more important takeaway may be the broader depth on display across the season and the postseason, with Seaver King, Trey Lipscomb, Luis Perales and Yohandy Morales all factoring into a stretch that put the organizations pipeline in a better light. The Red Wings now move on to Las Vegas for the Triple-A National Championship Game, and for a franchise still building toward its next core, that kind of late-season momentum is the sort of message fans have been waiting to hear. [Read more 🡒]
Nationals Get One Last Look At A Crucial Late Season Test
Washington closes the 2026 season with one more chance to measure itself against a direct division rival, and the timing could hardly be more meaningful. The Nationals have quietly put together a strong stretch, winning or tying their last four series, while New York arrives on a bit of a roll as well after taking its last two series. With the final weekend still carrying weight in the NL East race, this matchup gives Washington a clean look at where it stands against the kind of club it has spent the season chasing.
The pitching setup adds another layer to the series, with both teams lining up arms that could shape the tone from the start. Andrew Alvarez is slated to get the ball first for Washington, then Jonah Tong and Jake Irvin are lined up for the middle game, before DJ Herz and Sean Manaea square off to close it out. For a Nationals team trying to finish the year with a better read on its next step, this is the sort of test that can say plenty even before the standings do. [Read more 🡒]