The Nationals’ offense has become top-heavy, and that reality only sharpened after the trade deadline departures of Luis Garcia Jr. and Curtis Mead. Right now, Washington is leaning hard on James Wood and CJ Abrams, with a few useful side pieces mixed in around them.
Keibert Ruiz and Daylen Lile give the lineup some support, but the group still lacks the kind of depth and steadiness a team needs if it wants to play meaningful baseball in October. Eli Willits and Seaver King could eventually help, yet counting on prospects to carry that burden is a risky way to build an offense. Add in the fact that Abrams and Wood have both surfaced in trade conversation, and the picture gets even murkier.
That’s why free agency matters so much for Washington. The trade market can help, sure, but the Nationals’ low payroll leaves them no real excuse to sit out on offense. Pitching will likely be a major part of the offseason plan, but President of Baseball Operations Paul Toboni could use the organization’s pitching depth to stay aggressive on hitters as well.
If the Nationals decide to make a real splash on that side of the ball, former Pittsburgh Pirate Brandon Lowe makes a lot of sense as a target.
Lowe just put together the best statistical season of his career by bWAR, jumping from his previous high of 4.6 to 5.4 in 2025. The 9-year veteran was electric after being traded to Pittsburgh, playing in 150 games and hitting .260/.331/.493/824. with 35 home runs and 96 RBI.
What makes Lowe appealing is that his production travels with him. Washington can already get power from its lineup when everything clicks, but adding Lowe would raise both the ceiling and the floor.
He has cleared 30 home runs in every season in which he’s played more than 110 games, and he has finished as a 110 OPS+ bat in all but one year. His 3rd percentile Whiff% doesn’t exactly solve the Nationals’ strikeout issues, but the raw thump is enough to overpower some of that concern.
He also brings useful defensive and roster flexibility. Lowe can play second base, handle first base, or slot in as the primary DH to keep his bat front and center. If Washington decides to move Abrams off shortstop entirely, Lowe could settle in as the main DH while also giving the club some innings at first and second.
None of that will come cheap. Lowe isn’t the kind of free agent who signs for a bargain, and landing him would likely mean a multi-year commitment with real money attached. Spotrac pegs his market value at 4 years, $91,240,000, and that number could climb because the list of impact bats on the market is thin.
For a Nationals team that still needs to take a real step forward, especially if Abrams and Wood are eventually moved, Lowe fits the timeline. He’s the kind of bat that can help anchor the lineup as Washington tries to move toward contention.
In Other News...
Nationals Set Up A Prove-It Year With One Big Staff Decision
The Nationals are heading into the new season with continuity across the dugout, keeping their entire coaching staff in place as the organization looks to build on last years progress. That means Simon Mathews will continue to lead the pitching side, while Matt Borgschulte returns to oversee a hitting group that can point to a strong offensive showing as a reason for optimism.
For the pitching coaches, the return comes with a different kind of pressure. There was some progress in the team ERA and in the development of individual arms, but the next step is clearer now, and the staff knows it. With assistants and catching coach Bobby Wilson also back, Washington is betting that familiarity can help turn incremental gains into something more substantial this season. [Read more 🡒]
Nationals Just Lost A Familiar Catching Option Fans Knew Well
Riley Adams is moving on after a season spent in Triple-A with the Nationals, landing a minor league contract with the Red Sox and a chance to go to spring training as a non-roster player. For Washington, it is another reminder of how quickly catching depth can turn over, especially when a veteran minor league piece reaches free agency and is not added to the 40-man roster.
The Red Sox are bringing Adams in as a depth option behind their primary catchers, giving him a familiar role as a seasoned organizational backup. For Nationals fans, it leaves behind a player they knew well from the farm system and another small but notable bit of roster churn to track as the winter moves along. [Read more 🡒]
Nationals Prospect Keeps Proving He Can Handle Susanas Best Stuff
Kevin Bazzell has spent a good portion of the fall doing one of the harder jobs in prospect baseball: getting in front of Jarlin Susanas electric arm and proving he can handle it. The Nationals catcher has worked with Susana during rehab and regular season outings, then kept that partnership going in the Arizona Fall League, where the right-hander has continued flashing premium velocity and reaching well over 100 mph.
For Bazzell, the challenge has been as much physical as technical. He has shifted to a one-knee-down stance to help with framing, and the fact that he is back catching high-velocity pitching at all says plenty after he recovered from a broken left orbital bone suffered in April. For Washington, it is another encouraging sign that one of its catching prospects can keep up with one of its hardest-throwing arms. [Read more 🡒]