The Washington Nationals have bigger fish to fry this offseason than anything happening at first base. Their bullpen has already been tagged with an MLB single-season record of 38 blown saves in 2026, a brutal number that sits at the center of what went wrong for an NL East team that might have pushed for the postseason with a little more work on the relief corps.
Still, first base could be an area worth addressing after the club dealt Luis Garcia Jr. to the New York Yankees at the deadline. The Nationals have plenty of offense to build around - they rank second in the majors with 197 home runs and 754 runs scored - but there’s room for more steadiness at that spot.
One possible target is San Diego Padres first baseman Ty France, according to Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter. France is heading toward free agency, though the Padres could move quickly to keep him after a strong year.
"Ty France has put together a quietly awesome season for the Padres after signing a minor league deal last offseason, posting a 141 OPS+ with 20 home runs, 62 RBI and 4.1 WAR in 119 games," Reuter added.
France’s production has been strong across the board. In 120* games, he owns a 4.2 bWAR, 20 home runs, 20 doubles and a .873 OPS. He also won a Gold Glove Award in 2025, and his eight outs above average put him near the top of the majors at first base.
He’d be a clear upgrade for Washington’s lineup. But as the offseason starts to take shape, the bigger question remains whether the Nationals can fix the pitching staff that dragged them down in the first place.
In Other News...
Nationals Depth Arms Are Creating A Late-Season Question
Late in the season, the Nationals lower-level pitching inventory is still offering small reminders that the organization has more than one arm worth tracking. At Rochester, DJ Herz turned in another solid outing, working 4 innings and limiting the damage to one run as Scranton/Wilkes-Barre came away with a 5-3 win. In the same game, Rochester also got a look at Cayden Wallaces power, with his 11th homer of the year providing one of the more notable swings of the day.
The more interesting tension for Washington is how those depth arms are stacking up in the system at once. New Hampshire fell 2-1 in 10 innings after a walk-off two-run homer, but the game had been shaped earlier by scoreless work from Yoel Tejada Jr. and Alex Clemmey before Thomas Schultz entered late and the inning unraveled. For a club watching closely for rotation help beyond the obvious names, those mixed results only sharpen the question of who is pushing closest to the conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Nationals Lottery Odds Could Shape Their Next Big Roster Break
The MLB draft lottery has already changed how the Nationals think about finishing at the bottom of the standings. Instead of the old worst-record-first setup, the three worst teams now share equal odds at the top pick, and Washington has already lived through the volatility of that system, going second in 2023 before landing the first pick in 2025. For a franchise trying to rebuild through the draft, the difference between a favorable bounce and a modest slide can shape the next wave of talent.
Looking ahead to 2027, the lottery picture is already starting to take shape, with some clubs removed from the pool because of market size or recent top selections. The Nationals are part of that conversation again, and the broader appeal is obvious: one draw can alter the course of an entire roster plan, especially when the next class is still coming into focus and the early pecking order remains fluid. [Read more 🡒]
Nats Push For Series Win As Pitching Plans Suddenly Get Interesting
A win in the previous game left Washington with a chance to take the series, and the pitching picture around it has changed quickly. Andrew Alvarez is set to start as the left-hander gets the ball, while the clubs offense has continued to do enough to keep the Nationals in a good spot, with a positive run differential and a top-three ranking in MLB in runs scored this season.
The roster churn has been part of the story, too, with the Nationals making several moves as they try to keep the staff moving in the right direction. Harry Ford is dealing with an injury concern but avoided an injured-list stint, and the clubs latest mix of arms now gives the next game a little more intrigue than it had a day ago. [Read more 🡒]