The Washington Nationals know exactly where the work starts this winter: the pitching staff.
That much is clear inside the organization, where the focus is on fixing a rotation that trails well behind newly established ace Cade Cavalli and a bullpen that just set the wrong kind of record by blowing the most saves in Major League Baseball history. Those two areas sit at the top of the to-do list as the club looks ahead to the 2027 season.
What remains less certain is how the Nationals plan to attack the problem.
There is expected to be more financial flexibility from Mark Lerner and the rest of the ownership group this offseason, but that does not appear to mean a full-on spending spree. In particular, Washington does not sound like a team ready to chase the biggest names in the relief market.
“... relievers who command multiple years and significant money are probably off the table,” reported Spencer Nusbaum of The Athletic.
That approach fits with what has been seen before. Lerner has not exactly built a reputation for opening the checkbook without restraint, and president of baseball operations Paul Toboni comes from an analytical background that generally avoids tying up money in expensive relievers. Even during his time with the Boston Red Sox, a club with the resources to go after almost anyone, that kind of commitment was not the norm.
So if Washington is not shopping at the top of the bullpen market, where does that leave the team?
For now, the likeliest path sounds familiar. The Nationals could lean on the waiver wire to build out depth and supplement that with veteran relievers on short-term deals.
It is not the flashiest blueprint, and it would be fair to call it underwhelming. Still, there is a wrinkle this time around: several young pitchers showed real upside late in the 2026 season.
Whether Erik Tolman, Yovanny Cruz, Jack Sinclair and others can become reliable bullpen pieces is still an open question, but the Nationals do have more internal options than they did before.
Trades also remain in play. Toboni has already shown he is willing to make moves, and if the right arm becomes available this winter, Washington could use that route to land a meaningful upgrade.
The offseason is still in its early stages, so the full plan is not yet visible. But one thing already seems to be taking shape: high-priced relievers do not look like part of the Nationals’ target list.
In Other News...
Nationals Still Need A Closer And One Familiar Name Fits
The Nationals still have a late-inning question hanging over their roster, and the market may have just nudged one familiar name into view. Evan Phillips is now headed to Atlanta on a three-year contract, a move that makes it likely Raisel Iglesias will not be back with the Braves, and that leaves a proven closer suddenly available in a winter where Washington still needs help at the back end of games.
Iglesias has long fit the profile of the kind of reliever the Nationals could use, especially on a one-year deal that would give the club stability without a long commitment. For a team trying to tighten up its bullpen and avoid overextending itself, the appeal is obvious, even if this remains more a logical fit than a confirmed pursuit. [Read more 🡒]
James Wood Just Gave Nationals Fans A Bigger Reason To Believe
James Woods rise just got another national spotlight. The young outfielder was named to the first-team All-MLB in the 2026 MLB Awards, a recognition that puts him among the games best and gives Washington a fresh centerpiece to point to as it tries to build toward something bigger. He became the first Nationals player to earn All-MLB status since 2021, a reminder that the organization has at least one emerging star already performing on a stage that matters beyond the standings.
Wood did it over 135 games, and the production was hard to miss even with 27 games lost to injury. He finished with 30 home runs and a .388 on-base percentage, the kind of blend that makes him look less like a promising piece and more like a foundational one. The rest of the awards season offered a few more encouraging signs for Washington too, with CJ Abrams drawing support in National League MVP voting, but Woods honor is the one that really changes the conversation around the clubs future. [Read more 🡒]
Nationals Draft Lottery Outlook Leaves Plenty Still In Play
A fresh look at the MLB draft lottery landscape shows just how much can still swing before the Nationals learn where they will pick in 2027. One million simulations were run using the odds structure that has been in place since the current collective bargaining agreement, offering a clearer picture of how the lottery has played out in recent years and how teams like Washington and the Mets have fit into that system.
The timing of the next lottery is part of the intrigue, too, with the 2027 event expected to land during the Winter Meetings in December unless a possible CBA lockout changes the calendar. For a Nationals club trying to map out its future, the main takeaway is simple enough: plenty remains in play, and the final shape of the draft order is still a long way from settled. [Read more 🡒]