#washington-nationals

#washington-nationals

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,

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.

New President of Baseball Operations Paul Toboni had a huge checklist on his hands when the offseason began in terms of actually hiring people in the front office that were doing anything besides collecting a paycheck, which Mike Rizzo and his staff had been doing since 2019, and to this point, he has succeeded in that. His goal was to turn the organization into a player development machine, and at least the names look promising, although we've yet to actually see anything.

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.

That said, the buzz has been more on Framber Valdez as a free agent or someone like Freddy Peralta on the trade market for Atlanta lately, so perhaps their move is still on the table. They could plausibly go into the season with their current rotation options, particularly if the answers to their injury questions are favorable, but a quality starter really would be a phenomenal touch to an already strong offseason.

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.

Throughout the offseason, one of the more awkward times of the year is the subject of arbitration for players and teams around Major League Baseball. Their case is a true first, as Skubal and his camp are seeking $32 million in salary for 2026, which would be a record awarded in arbitration. The Tigers filed at $19 million, which leaves the side $13 million apart as rumors of Skubal being traded to the highest bidder will only surely increase moving forward.

On that day, Washington officially announced the signing of Max Scherzer to a seven-year, $210 million contract. At the time, it marked the largest deal ever given to a right-handed pitcher and a clear signal that the Nationals were serious about winning. Scherzer arrived in Washington from the Detroit Tigers. Already an established ace, he still exceeded expectations. From 2015 to 2021, he posted a 2.80 ERA across 189 appearances and struck out 1,610 batters.

As of December 29th, 2025 take a look at the projected 2026 payroll for the Washington Nationals. Go ahead, pull it up. As of right now, it's hovering right around $98 million. This is in a division where the Mets and Phillies are both treating the league's luxury tax as nothing more than a suggestion, the Nationals are currently ranked in the bottom third in spending.

Last year, the right-handed reliever was in AAA with the Royals, where he posted a 4.87 ERA in 57 and a third innings pitched. These are not numbers that most fans would get excited about. However, Nogosek has untapped potential. He has a fastball that is about league average velocity, and his primary offspeed offering is a sweeper with almost 20 inches of horizontal break.

Infielder Orelvis Martinez will attend spring training as a non-roster invitee with the Washington Nationals in 2026, per the club's announcement on Friday. The former Toronto Blue Jays top prospect, who agreed to a minor-league deal for '26 with the Nats back in September, was one of three non-roster players - ones who aren't already on the 40-man roster - to receive an invitation to major-league camp for next spring.