The Nationals are already feeling the ripple effect of their breakout 2026 season, and this time it’s their coaching staff taking a hit.
Seattle has hired Washington’s Director of Hitting, pulling a key voice away from a Nationals offense that spent much of the regular season among the league’s best. The move sends the staff member back to the Mariners, where he previously worked for four seasons from 2021-2025 as a Minor League hitting coordinator.
He joined Washington about 12 months ago, coming aboard as Director of Hitting one month into Paul Toboni’s run as President of Baseball Operations. Since then, the Nationals have built a coaching group that looks far more stable than in recent years, and that stability is starting to draw attention around the league.
Blake Butera recently announced the return of his entire major-league staff except for five strength coaches, and Matt Borgschulte remains on board as hitting coach. Even so, Washington’s rise has made its people attractive to other clubs, and this departure is the latest sign of that.
Seattle’s interest makes sense. The Mariners are coming off a brutal 64-98 season, a year that ended with Dan Wilson losing his job as manager. They still haven’t named a replacement, but the offense clearly needed help after a disappointing campaign that followed a Game 7 ALCS miss the year before.
For a Mariners club with Cal Raleigh, Julio Rodriguez, George Kirby, Bryan Woo, and a roster that should have been built for a deeper run, the season was a major letdown. Bringing Gillman back gives Seattle a familiar voice and a fresh perspective as it tries to fix an attack that has struggled for years.
For Washington, the task now is replacing him while trying to build on what worked in 2026. The Nationals will lean again on All-Stars James Wood and CJ Abrams, with Daylen Lile and Keibert Ruiz also part of the core. If the pitching takes a step forward, the club could find itself in the same position again soon: good enough to have its coaches targeted by other teams.
In Other News...
Nationals First-Round Bat Could Move Faster Than Fans Expect
Chris Hacopian arrived as the Nationals 11th overall pick in the 2026 MLB draft, and the early read on him is that his bat may move quicker than a typical first-round college hitter. The appeal is obvious: advanced hitting skills, a polished approach, and minor league performance metrics that suggest he can handle the next step without needing a long apprenticeship.
There are still a few boxes to check, though, and Washington is already working on them. The club wants to see more pull-side damage and a little more lift in his batted-ball profile, the kind of adjustments that can turn a good hitter into a major league-ready one. If those changes come along as expected, Hacopian could be in the conversation for a big league debut by early 2028, with even a September 2027 look not out of the question. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Suddenly Face A Tougher Question In CJ Abrams Pursuit
The Nationals have already spent part of the week reshaping their 40-man roster, designating Mitchell Parker and Jose Tena for assignment as they made room and sorted through the edges of the roster. Those moves were about more than paperwork. They were part of the broader picture in Washington, where every decision now seems tied to the clubs long-term direction and the kind of core it wants to keep in place.
Against that backdrop, the chatter around CJ Abrams has only added another layer of difficulty. The two-time All-Star has drawn reported interest from the Red Sox, according to former GM Jim Bowden, and any possible deal would force Washington to balance immediate value against future flexibility. It is the sort of decision that can shape how a front office is viewed for years, especially when a player like Abrams also carries real weight with the fan base. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Trade Buzz Just Raised A Huge Prospect Question
The Red Sox have spent the offseason clearing space on their 40-man roster, moving Nate Eaton, Tsung-Che Cheng and Eduardo Rivera in separate deals as they try to reshape the clubs depth chart. Now the latest trade buzz has Boston looking beyond simple roster trimming and into the kind of bigger swing that can change a lineup, with reports linking the club to offensive targets such as Elly De La Cruz and CJ Abrams.
For the Nationals, Abrams is the name that matters most in that conversation, because any speculation around him naturally turns into a question about how much Boston would have to give up to pry away a player with his profile. The talks are still only exploratory, but they underline the tension in any potential deal: the Red Sox want more impact at the plate, while Washington would have to weigh whether the return justifies moving a young piece with real value. [Read more 🡒]