That feeling is primarily because pitchers and catchers are reporting in just a few days, however a solid amount of solid big league talent is still out there and could potentially be had for the Nationals. Whether or not they can convince any veteran to take either a cheap or short-term deal remains to be seen, and many free agents might just want to wait it out and wait for a competitive team to get desperate.
A starter earlier in his career, Pilkington moved to a relief role full time and saw his four-seamer clock in at a career-high 94.5 mph average. He logged an 11.6% swinging-strike rate in the majors, just north of the 11% league-average, and logged a gaudier 13.8% swinging-strike rate in Triple-A. Pilkington still has one minor league option year remaining, and while his overall track record in Triple-A isn't good, he notched a 2.59 ERA in 42 1/3 innings with Washington's top affiliate in Rochester this past season.
The Washington Post sports department is no more. That really sucks for Nats fans and leaves the Nats coverage in limbo, especially after MASNs dissolution earlier in the year. This begs the question - who is covering the Nationals? I mean REALLY covering them, not covering them like me, giving out free content that's worth the price of admission. I don't know about local TV stations which will presumably continue their usual light coverages of the team
A turbulent offseason for the Nationals has seen a number of players depart, and yet, the team has still not signed on a hitter to a major league contract. It's a puzzling development; the Nats front office is forthcoming about its uncompetitiveness in 2026, but teams without playoff hopes still frequently sign players to one-year deals with the upside of flipping them to a contending team for prospects come the trade deadline if they perform well.
A third-round pick by the Padres in 2016, Thompson has pitched in parts of four big league seasons between the Friars and the Nationals. The 6'6″, 240-pound righty been tagged for a 5.21 ERA in 114 innings, with a gruesome 11.81 ERA (16 runs in 10 2/3 innings) this past season skewing that mark a bit. Though Thompson's 2025 performance was rocky to say the least - he also posted an ERA over 6.00 in 16 minor league frames -
Montes de Oca was drafted by the Mets in 2018, and a few years ago, he had the potential to be an elite Major League reliever. In AAA with the Mets in 2022, Montes de Oca posted a 3.44 ERA and struck out a whopping 56 batters in just 34 innings. The big right showcased that he had elite stuff that could get swings and misses from batters. However, Montes de Oca has had Tommy John surgery two times in the past three years.
The catcher began his journey through the minor leagues with the Dodgers, who signed him out of Venezuela in 2019. Valladares was one of a few Venezuelan catching prospects in the Dodgers' system alongside Diego Cartaya and Keibert Ruiz. Both Cartaya and Ruiz eventually left the Dodgers via trade, but Valladares remained with the Dodgers and trudged his way through L.A.'s farm system.
He made his long-awaited Major League debut just 364 days after the Nationals drafted him. He excelled in college at San Diego State University, where Baseball Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn coached him, and in his MLB debut, oh boy, did he shine. In just seven innings of work, he struck out 14 Pittsburgh Pirates, allowed two runs on four hits, and didn't walk an opposing batter. The anticipation for greatness built, and although injury cut his rookie season short,
The Washington Nationals have finally made a pivotal decision that fans had been waiting on for awhile now. No, they have not decided to trade All-Star shortstop CJ Abrams yet, although that could possibly be on the horizon despite President of Baseball Operations Paul Toboni's most recent comments, but there was a big decision made. That decision actually did not come with anything related to
Before you read any of this, use this article for entertainment purposes because it discusses risky gambling in a hedge against buying tickets to see your Washington Nationals. This idea came from Twitter/X's, Crabcakes&Football, an account that frequently gets salty about the Nats. And that account certainly isn't alone in the growing pessimism. A discussion with constant curmudgeon, @dclandofnerds, led to an X.com discussion (see below) that led to this article.
The Nationals are in agreement with lefty reliever Zach Penrod on a minor league contract, reports Will Sammon of The Athletic. The Dynamic Sports Group client would be paid an $800K rate, marginally above the minimum, if he makes the MLB roster. Penrod is a former Red Sox farmhand who made seven appearances for Boston in 2024. Nationals president of baseball operations Paul Toboni was an assistant general manager for the Sox at the time.
Once again, the Los Angeles Dodgers have flipped the baseball world upside down. This time with their record breaking, four year, $240 million deal with Kyle Tucker. The back to back World Series champions are adding to their reputation as the 'Evil Empire' with the signing of seemingly every single All-Star caliber player in the league. While fans everywhere are losing their minds over the newly polished Dodgers' $400 million payroll, Washington Nationals fans should be feeling something much worse... fear.
As Paul Toboni and the newly filled out front office continue to sit on their hands this winter, making just one big league signing so far, the reality of the situation has begun to set in. The Nats are preparing (as of now) to head into the 2026 season with a middle of the pack lineup in terms of proven production and a combined age of a college senior with zero veteran safeguarding or protection.
