LOS ANGELES - The gap between the Dodgers and the Nationals was impossible to miss on Friday night, and not just because one club can throw money at stars while the other is still trying to build its way into contention.
There was Kyle Tucker, the $60 million man, circling second base with his arms out. There was a pitcher on the league minimum asking for a new ball. And there was the old Andrew Friedman line hanging in the air again: “If you’re always rational about every free agent, you will finish third on every free agent.”
That quote lands differently when you look at Washington’s situation. The Nationals cannot live in the same financial neighborhood as Los Angeles, and they are not about to hand out Tucker-level money or take on a Shohei Ohtani-sized gamble. But they may be in a place where taking at least some financial risks makes sense this winter.
That sounds strange for a team that lost 5-3 on Friday night and sits nine games under .500 at 67-76. It also sounds strange because Washington has already topped last year’s win total by leaning into a disciplined, practical approach to spending.
Last winter, the Nationals put money into coaching and technology instead of chasing a splashy name. At this stage of their competitive cycle, that was the smarter use of resources. But being careful does not mean being careful everywhere forever.
The numbers are what make this winter interesting. FanGraphs has more than $50 million coming off Washington’s books from players who are not even on the 40-man roster, including $35 million from Stephen Strasburg’s expiring contract. CJ Abrams and Cade Cavalli are the only players set for a meaningful raise next year, and even that “meaningful” bump is still under $10 million.
If the Nationals simply held steady, they could, in theory, go into 2027 with a payroll lower than the 2026 Miami Marlins, whose $76 million figure is the lowest in baseball.
That reality invites the obvious reaction: frustration, skepticism, maybe a little yelling at the clouds. Fair enough.
Plenty of fans would argue that this kind of frugality is never worth it. But after years of restraint, Washington has created a chance to do something more aggressive in 2027.
And there are smart ways to do it.
The Dodgers have shown how. They’ve won back-to-back World Series with stars other teams didn’t want to pay, whether that meant trading for Mookie Betts after the Red Sox balked, then signing him, or landing Freddie Freeman and Tyler Glasnow.
The Nationals are not Los Angeles, and they never will be. They cannot outspend everyone, and they cannot offer the same destination appeal.
Still, they are in a better place than they were a year ago. The roster is stronger.
They have evidence that they can help players improve. Even the surroundings are better, including the new team plane.
That brings Friedman’s line back into focus. If Washington identifies a player it truly believes in, it does not have to stop at the number its internal models spit out. It can choose to be a little unreasonable when the fit is right.
It may be early to talk about a top-10 payroll next season, especially with a losing record and an ownership group that has not exactly been known for spending big. The uncertainty around a possible lockout only complicates the picture. Even so, the Nationals could add $50 million and still end up with one of the smallest payrolls in the sport.
That opens the door.
A trade for a “good player, bad deal” could make sense if another team wants to cut payroll. Washington could also shop for a back-end reliever to help a bullpen that looks headed for the blown-saves record, along with a starter who has real track record. There are options out there.
The roster itself is still full of unknowns, which was on display Friday when rookies Jackson Kent and Perales were part of the story. That’s the reality for most players making under $1 million a year: potential, yes, but also plenty of uncertainty.
President of baseball operations Paul Toboni stopped short last week of saying how a possible lockout might affect spending, though he has repeatedly said he feels supported by ownership. He also said the front office will use these final three weeks to get a clearer read on what it should chase next season.
“I really don’t want to put a ceiling on what these guys can achieve, and in 2027, I feel the same,” Toboni said. “I think this offense is great.
Starting pitching has shown flashes where they’re pretty, pretty darn good. There have been flashes in the pen of like, ‘Hey, these guys can help us in future years.’
“So, yeah, if it all comes together in a way, and we do everything in our power to help supplement the roster in an effective way, yeah, I believe we can make a run.”
There is a case against going too far, and it is a real one. No general manager has an endless budget, especially not with the Lerners.
One or two bad long-term deals can jam up a future fast. And there are plenty of examples of teams spending big on pitchers and getting very little back, including the Tigers, who have committed more than $100 million to free-agent pitchers over the last two years with limited results.
But the contrast in Los Angeles was hard to ignore. Scott Boras had James Wood’s parents sitting behind home plate.
The center-field sign read “Uniqlo Field,” part of a naming-rights deal worth $125 million to the Dodgers, while Nationals Park brings in $0 annually for Washington. And the rosters told the clearest story of all: one team had 15 players making at least $10 million.
The other had none.
In Other News...
CJ Abrams Still Has One Big Nationals Question Hanging Over Him
The Nationals have spent the last couple of weeks testing a new path for CJ Abrams, and the latest update suggests they are willing to keep experimenting. After moving him off shortstop in mid-August because of defensive issues, Washington had him debut at second base, where the early looks have been encouraging. It is part of a broader late-season evaluation for a club that is still sorting out pieces for the future, while also tracking the progress of pitchers Connelly Early, Josiah Gray and Cade Cavalli as they work through injury recoveries and recent game activity.
Abrams next step is still the interesting one, because the Nationals are not treating this as a simple one-position answer. The more they see him handle the middle infield, the more they can weigh what fits best for him and for the roster, and that decision carries plenty of implications beyond the final weeks of this season. For now, Washington has at least given itself a useful look, and Abrams has given the club reason to keep the conversation going. [Read more 🡒]
Nationals Bullpen Suddenly Has Homegrown Arms Fans Need To Watch
A sudden wave of homegrown relief help has given the Nationals bullpen a different look, with Erik Tolman, Jared Simpson and Jack Sinclair all getting their first extended taste of the majors after being developed inside the organization. For a club that always has an eye on whether its pitching pipeline is producing real depth, the early returns have been encouraging, especially since all three arrived as late-round draft picks and have shown sharper command than many expected.
Tolman has been the most eye-opening of the group, working into high-leverage innings and missing bats without giving much away, while Simpson handled his debut like a pitcher who belonged in the moment. Sinclair has also made an immediate impression with a confident first outing, giving the Nationals a trio of young arms worth tracking as the season unfolds. The bigger question now is how long this burst of poise and control can hold once opposing lineups get a second look. [Read more 🡒]
Nationals Got An Intriguing Look At Two Very Different Young Arms
A game against the Dodgers gave the Nationals a useful snapshot of two young arms at different points in their development. Jackson Kent was on the mound for his fifth big league start, and the rookie left the outing having worked five innings as Washington tried to see how his stuff would hold up against a lineup with real postseason-level teeth.
The more immediate spark came from Jack Sinclair, who was called on for his Major League debut and handled the eighth inning cleanly. Washington ended up on the short end of a 5-3 loss, but nights like this still matter for a club sorting through its pitching future, especially when one arm is trying to settle in and another is just arriving on the scene. [Read more 🡒]