I'll break it down into three difference categories, then pull it all together with a conclusion.
OFFENCE:
The Nationals needed more power, and Mike Rizzo went out and got Josh Bell, Nathaniel Lowe and Paul DeJong. While those three might not be superstars, they're certainly a big boost to the lineup.
It will be nice to see Josh Bell in a Nats uniform again this season. He's coming off a 2024 campaign where he split time between the Marlins and Diamondbacks, with a combined 19 HR and 51 RBI. Not his best season in the Majors, but I don't think any of us would have complained about having that last year. Let's look back to his only full season in Washington, where he finished with 27 HR and 88 RBI. I don't expect him to get back to those levels, but coming in as the fourth-highest paid player this year the pop should be there.
I think Mike Rizzo absolutely FLEECED the Texas Rangers when he traded them Robert Garcia for Nathaniel Lowe. Garcia had an ERA of 4.22 last season over 59.2 IP...not sparking numbers for a reliever. Lowe, on the other hand, had a down year last year with only 69 RBI. That would have put him in second place on the Nats last season. Oh, and he won the AL Silver Slugger in 2022. Yes I know there's a chance he might not work out for the Nationals, but it's still Spring Training so there's no reason to be down on him.
Paul DeJong is a veteran now who had 24 HR last year to go along with 17 doubles and 56 RBI in 139 games split between the White Sox and Royals. We had 11 HR and 43 RBI COMBINED at 3B last season with Senzel, Tena and Lipscomb. At only $1,000,000 for one year, what is the risk? I don't see any. It's all upside. He hits 15 HR and drive in 40 by the trade deadline where we flip him for a prospect? Great. He goes on a tear and ends up back where he was in 2019 with 30 HR and 78 RBI? Awesome! He can't get the bat going at all or gets hurt and doesn't play much? Oh well. We have Brady House on the way.
I also don't want the kids' to be left out of the conversation. We have (potentially...nothing is set in stone yet) the first full MLB season with both James Wood and Dylan Crews. I don't expect them to come storming out of the gate behind the plate, but we all know they have the potential. CJ Abrams and Luis García Jr are coming off career years, and look like they could do that again this year. The kids are going to be alright.
DEFENCE:
To go along with the offence they'll provide, you can't be anything but thrilled to add both Lowe and DeJong to the infield.
Lowe is a GOLD GLOVE WINNING 1B. I think that's just a slight improvement over the combination of Yepez, Meneses and Gallo from 2024.
DeJong is a good defender who so far has looked great at 3B. We don't need him to be outstanding, we just need him to be good and reliable. We have Brady House coming sometime soon, so we just need DeJong to be serviceable for this season. Every indication is that he'll be just that.
Like with the Nats oftence, the kids have to be part of the conversation about the new-look defence. You can't tell me I'm the only one salivating at the thought of an outfield consisting of James Wood, Dylan Crews and Jacob Young. And the back-up outfielders? Amed Rosario, Alex Call and Robert Hassell III. The infield defence will be lightyears better too (as long as Keibert Ruiz can hold his own). The team will be fine defending.
PITCHING:
There were some additions to the pitching staff which were very low risk, and cary the potential for a very big reward.
In what could be one of the best FA signings this off-season, Washington snagged Michael Soroka at $9,000,000 for one season. The stats show us that he has the stuff to be one of the better pitchers in baseball. Back in 2019 he was an all-star, and finished with a record 13-4 and an ERA of 2.68 with 142 strikeouts. Those are pretty good numbers. His numbers last year, his first full season back after injuries, weren't great mainly because he was on what was statistically one of the worst teams of all time in the Chicago White Sox. He's pitched 7 innings in Florida so far and has an ERA of 1.29 with a WHIP of 0.71. Call me crazy...call me biased because I'm Canadian and Soroka is Canadian...but I have high hopes and am excited to have him on the Nationals.
Lucas Sims is an interesting add for the Nationals who makes their bullpen look decent. If you look at his 2023 numbers, he finished with an ERA of 3.10 over 61 innings. At $3,000,000 for one year what's the real risk if he can't get back to that place this year?
Could the Nationals have been in on some of the big-name free agents like Juan Soto, Corbin Burnes, Alex Bregman or Pete Alonso? Sure. Would it have been nice and helped boost ticket sales on top of winning a few more games this season? Absolutely. But would it really have bene worth it? I don't think so.
Whether or not ownership would have allowed Rizzo to spend this winter is irrelevant to me. The Nationals are going to have to pay the kids soon, and it won't be cheap. CJ Abrams, MacKenzie Gore, James Wood, Dylan Crews....they're going to cost a pretty penny.
So for all those who wish the Nats had made a big FA splash I ask you this: would you rather have tied up money with Soto (15 years x $51M), Burnes (6 years x $33.04M) or Alonso (2 years x $27M)? Or would you rather save that money for the likes of Abrams, Gore, Wood and Crews?
I'll take the kids option every day.
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