"With the offseason approaching, the Washington Nationals have questions to answer at first base. Josh Bell will depart the team in free agency, leaving the team at a critical juncture at the position. The team's -1.0 FanGraphs Wins Above Replacement at first base this season ranks third worst in baseball, only ahead of the Rockies and Giants. There's a few approaches the team could take to fill the hole for the 2026 campaign. We'll look at one this week, and tackle the rest next Sunday."
"Pete Alonso feels like a likely candidate to decline his player option with the Mets for 2026, and he was rumored to be a Nationals target in free agency last year. It seems he will be forgoing $24 million in the search for a longer-term payday entering his age-31 season on the heels of his best all-around offensive campaign in years."
Josh Bell will leave the Washington Nationals in free agency, creating an opening at first base for the 2026 season. The Nationals posted -1.0 FanGraphs Wins Above Replacement at first base this year, the third-worst mark in baseball behind only the Rockies and Giants. Free agency offers options such as Pete Alonso and Josh Naylor. Alonso may decline his Mets player option to seek a longer-term deal entering his age-31 season, but returning to Queens seems likely and the Nationals would face significant financial and competitive obstacles to sign him. Naylor brings an unusual 20-home run, 30-steal profile despite low sprint speed and contact-oriented tendencies.
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