The Washington Nationals’ 2025-2026 offseason has been anything but quiet. It’s been a whirlwind of change, not just in the front office and coaching staff, but across multiple levels of the organization-from the major league roster all the way down through the farm system. If this winter has shown us anything, it’s that the Nationals are deep into a rebuild, and they’re not afraid to shake things up to get there.
Let’s start with the headline moves. Washington swung a pair of notable trades that brought in some intriguing young talent.
Chief among them is Gavin Fien, a promising prospect acquired from the Texas Rangers in the deal that sent MacKenzie Gore packing. They also landed catcher Harry Ford from the Mariners-widely viewed as a potential cornerstone behind the plate.
These are the kinds of moves that signal a long-term vision, even if they don’t bring immediate excitement to the big-league product.
But while the front office has been busy retooling the pipeline, fans have been left wondering when the team will start spending again. That frustration is understandable.
After all, this was the first offseason under new president of baseball operations Paul Toboni, and expectations were that the Nationals might finally dip back into the free-agent market in a meaningful way. Instead, they opted for short-term veteran depth, signing left-hander Foster Griffin and right-hander Miles Mikolas to one-year deals.
Solid arms, sure-but not exactly the kind of moves that light up the hot stove.
Washington has also been hyperactive on the waiver wire, constantly churning the bottom of the roster. Some of those claims have stuck-for now.
Lefty reliever Ken Waldichuk and right-hander Gus Varland are both in camp and could compete for bullpen spots. Others barely had time to unpack.
George Soriano, for instance, was claimed off waivers, only to be flipped to the Cardinals for righty Andre Granillo. That’s the kind of rapid transaction that’s become a theme this offseason.
Then there’s the curious case of Mickey Gasper and Tsung-Che Cheng. Both infielders were claimed off waivers by Washington, only to be designated for assignment almost immediately-Gasper lasted nine days, Cheng didn’t even make it two.
Their time in D.C. was so brief, they overlapped for just a single day. But here’s where it gets interesting: both were then claimed by the Boston Red Sox, where they’ll now head into spring training trying to earn a roster spot.
That’s a bit of poetic symmetry, considering Toboni’s roots in the Red Sox organization. While it’s unlikely either Gasper or Cheng makes a major splash in Boston, it’s a quirky footnote to an offseason full of roster reshuffling.
For Nationals fans, this winter has been more about long-term planning than headline-grabbing acquisitions. The team is clearly focused on building from within, stacking up young talent, and maintaining roster flexibility. It’s not the kind of offseason that sells jerseys, but it could lay the groundwork for something more sustainable down the line.
And as for the Gasper and Cheng era in Washington? Blink and you missed it. But in a season defined by turnover and transformation, even the shortest tenures tell a part of the story.