Washington Nationals

The Washington Nationals have not been scared to shell out big money to players in the past, but have also been the launching point for guys to receive massive paydays from other teams. MLB data account BrooksGate recently released a list of the highest-earning players in MLB history and four of the Top 25 were former Nationals players. There were two players that started their career in Washington and got paid more by other teams. There were also two guys that received a majority of their money from the Nationals.

After a slow start to the winter, things have really picked up lately for the Washington Nationals as they look to fill out their roster. The Nationals have been in a rebuild for quite some time since winning the World Series in 2019. After winning 71 games the last two years, Washington certainly wants to see an improvement in that area this coming season. Washington seemingly wants to let their young players continue to develop another year before making long-term commitments to free agents, and that certainly makes sense.

The Washington Nationals have existed in their current iteration since 2005, after the Montreal Expos moved to the Nation's Capital, leaving the Great White North as a country with only one MLB team. While the club has had many stars throughout their 20 seasons of play, there may be none that stand out quite like "Mad" Max Scherzer. It has now been over a decade since the ace signed with the franchise, and in that time, the Nationals won a World Series, the first in team history. Scherzer cemented his status as a future Hall of Famer while in Washington with six National League All-Star appearances in seven years, two National League Cy Young Awards, and three top-ten National League MVP finishes.

This is an exciting time for the Washington Nationals and their fan base. The fruits of their rebuilding labor are finally starting to reveal themselves with the arrival of multiple star prospects to play alongside the original building blocks of MacKenzie Gore and CJ Abrams who were part of the headlining package in the Juan Soto trade. While the young sluggers in the lineup get the majority of the attention, this starting rotation also has plenty of talented players who could become stars for this franchise. Outside of Gore, Jake Irvin has proven himself to be a real weapon.

The Washington Nationals have been fairly busy with their pitching staff this offseason and might not be done making changes. Bleacher Report's Zachary D. Rymer recently looked through some under-the-radar free agents that are still on the market and which teams they expect them to sign with. Two-time All-Star starting pitcher Lance Lynn made the list was predicted to sign a deal with the Nationals. Taking a one-year flier on Lynn to see if he can repeat his solid bounceback late in his career wouldn't move the needle, but could be intriguing.

Covered the Washington Wizards from 2014 to 2016 and the Washington Nationals from 2016 to 2018 for The Washington Post before covering the Los Angeles Dodgers and MLB for the Los Angeles Times from 2018 to 2024. The New York Mets and left-hander A.J. Minter have agreed on a two-year, $22 million contract Friday, sources confirmed to ESPN's Jeff Passan, giving a team starved for bullpen help one of the best relievers on the free-agent market.

The Kansas City Royals have made some key moves this offseason. Super utility man Jurickson Profar remains a free agent, and Rowan Kavner of FOX Sports predicted that he will ultimately end up signing a deal with the Royals this offseason.

The Atlanta Braves announced on Friday that they have claimed Washington Nationals right-handed reliever Amos Willingham off waivers. In a corresponding move, they have designated right-handed pitcher Allan Winans for assignment. Willingham has experience pitching in Atlanta at the collegiate level.

The Washington Nationals continue to progress through the offseason searching for ways they can bolster the entire organization, not just for the upcoming campaign, but for the future. In fact, he won't be with any team moving forward since the third baseman has retired from the game of baseball this offseason. Alu was a 24th-round pick of Washington in 2019 after earning a third-team All-ACC honor at Boston College. Following his selection and not being able to compete in 2020 because the minor league season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the third baseman was able to climb his way up the pipeline quickly and was added to the 40-man roster ahead of the 2022 Rule 5 draft.

Outfielder Jesse Winker and the New York Mets have agreed on a one-year deal, a source confirmed to ESPN amid multiple reports Thursday. Winker, 31, will return to the Mets after the club acquired him in a trade from the Washington Nationals at the deadline last summer. The deal is pending Winkler passing a physical, a source told ESPN.

Former Boston Red Sox trade acquisition Franchy Cordero has resurfaced in the United States, signing a minor league deal with the Washington Nationals. The Nationals and outfielder Franchy Cordero have agreed to a minor league deal, source tells @JustBB_Media. Cordero, 30, has seen big league action in parts of seven seasons but spent last year with the Saitama Seibu Lions of NPB.

Heading into the MLB offseason, the Washington Nationals were a team that looked like they were ready to spend some money. Coming off a 71-win campaign, there were plenty of spots on the roster in need of an upgrade to help push the team further out of their rebuild. Augmenting a core that includes left fielder James Wood, center fielder Jacob Young, right fielder Dylan Crews, shortstop CJ Abrams and second baseman Luis Garcia Jr. was the No. 1 goal.

It's been a lousy run for the Washington Nationals since the team won the 2019 World Series. Since going all-in to win the Major League Baseball championship that season, the Nationals have shed salary the way a golden retriever sheds fur. Max Scherzer, Trea Turner, Juan Soto, and Anthony Rendon all headed out for greener pastures — though not bringing back Rendon turned out to be a win.

The Seattle Mariners have acquired utility player Miles Mastrobuoni in a trade with the Chicago Cubs for cash considerations.

The Washington Nationals came into the offseason on the heels of five consecutive missed playoffs, along with four last place finishes in the five years since winning their first World Series title in 2019. With a roster that is among the youngest in baseball which will rely on a core of unseasoned players to take the next step and make major contributions, nobody exactly expects Washington to compete for another championship in 2025. One player who the Nationals acquired recently to help supplement that young core is veteran utility man Amed Rosario who Washington acquired on a one-year deal worth just $2 million. In an article naming some of the 'sneaky good' signings of the free agency period, Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report named Rosario's deal with the Nationals to his list.

There is a lot that still needs to be figured out for the Washington Nationals this winter and heading into the start of the upcoming season. Spring Training will certainly bring some answers to the multiple questions that currently exist, but it's on general manager Mike Rizzo to deliver some more options for the coaching staff if the organization is truly looking to take the next step. While the right-hander certainly doesn't garner headlines on the field with his ERA sitting at 5.25 and ERA+ at 84 across his 282 outings and 58 starts, he is coming off one of the best seasons of his career. Lopez posted a 2.89 ERA in his 52 appearances, looking similar to the 2022 version of himself that earned him his first-ever All-Star nod.

The Washington Nationals are going to be led next season by one of the youngest cores in all of baseball, and while there have been some growing pains, there's a few who have already established themselves as key pieces to contend in the future. One of those who gets somewhat underrated due to excitement about guys like Dylan Crews, CJ Abrams, and MacKenzie Gore is another top prospect who might just be the team's best player next year. Formerly one of the top prospects in all of baseball, left fielder James Wood made his debut for the Nationals at the beginning of July and did not experience any notable setbacks in his adjustment to Major League Baseball. In an article trying to predict who the breakout stars of the 2025 season could be, David Adler of MLB.com named Wood to his list and compared his game to that of Cincinnati Reds electrifying infielder Elly De La Cruz.

The Cleveland Guardians still have some work to do as far as their starting rotation is concerned, but most of the best names are off the market now in free agency. The Guardians did re-sign Shane Bieber, and they did swing a trade for Luis Ortiz, but it's clear that it would behoove them to still add at least one other pitcher for some depth. James Mastrucci of Away Back Gone has pitched an interesting suggestion for Cleveland: Lance Lynn. "At this stage in his career, Lynn might not be the most exciting name to add to Cleveland's rotation, but this is about taking a step to possibly avoid what happened last year," Mastrucci wrote.

The Washington Nationals and former All-Star pitcher Jorge López agreed to terms on a 1-year contract, the team announced Saturday. López, a 31-year-old right-hander from Puerto Rico, went 2-3 with a 2.89 ERA, 50 strikeouts and four saves in 52 relief appearances last season with the New York Mets and Chicago Cubs. The Cubs signed him in June.

Amed Rosario hit .280 with 18 doubles, three triples, three home runs, 32 RBIs, 13 stolen bases and 29 scores over 103 games last season with the Rays, Reds, and Dodgers.

Former Minnesota Twins infielder Ehire Adrianza is back with the team, this time taking on a new role as the Assistant of Player Development.

First baseman Josh Bell and the Washington Nationals finalized a $6 million, one-year contract on Sunday.

Williams, 32, has a 4.30 ERA in 202 major league appearances with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago Cubs, New York Mets and Washington Nationals since making his debut in 2016.

It was a banner year for San Diego sports, full of big announcements and exciting moments.

Garcia had 75 strikeouts and only 16 walks in 59 2/3 innings over 72 appearances for the Nationals last season.