Looking back at what Mike Rizzo did to improve the club this offseason
With the Nationals season just 10 days away, and with the regular season games starting over in Japan tomorrow, it feels right to recap what the Nats did this offseason. While it was a busy offseason for the Nationals, the lack of a big ticket item left many fans wanting more. Here we will go over the free agent pickups, the trades and where the roster stands heading into the season.
The Big Trade
The biggest move Mike Rizzo made this offseason was not a free agent pickup, rather it was a big trade. While I wouldn’t quite call it a blockbuster, the acquisition of Nathaniel Lowe gave the Nats a dependable first baseman for the first time in years. Ironically, their last dependable first baseman Josh Bell came back to DC, but this time he will be a DH.
The Nats traded high upside reliever Robert Garcia to get Lowe. While Garcia’s underlying numbers suggest he is a much better pitcher than his 4.22 ERA indicates, getting an everyday first baseman for a middle reliever you picked up on waivers is a good piece of business.
Lowe is a high on base bat and a gold glove level defender at first base. While he has some power, he is not exactly the bopper the Nats were crying out for in 2024 when they finished second to last in home runs. However, Lowe will be a good piece in the Nats lineup.
Quantity over quality in free agency
The Washington Nationals did not make a big splash in free agency despite many fans and outside media expecting them to. Now that they are further along in their rebuild, there were high expectations about the Nats potential free agent targets. A Juan Soto reunion was always a pipe dream, but fans hoped for a big name in the rotation or a major power bat. They got none of that.
Instead, they got a plethora of cheap, low risk one year deals. It was very similar to their approach in previous off-seasons. In fact, the Nationals haven’t spent more than $15 million to bring a player in since the 2020-21 offseason. The Lerner family is clearly tighter with their money than they were in the 2010’s.
However, the guys they did bring in have some promise. Before a rough outing Yesterday, Michael Soroka was the star of spring training, with improved velocity and big strikeout numbers. The reunion of Josh Bell also gave the Nats a cheap power bat and a well respected veteran. He did a lot for the community in his first stint with the Nats. Bell has hit over 20 homers four times in his career, and the Nats need him to make it a fifth season in 2025.
Veteran arms Trevor Williams and Kyle Finnegan returned to the club, with Williams signing a two-year deal and Finnegan coming back after being non-tendered. The Nats also signed their first ever player directly from Asia in Shinnosuke Ogasawara, though he will likely start the season in Triple-A. Other moves included the additions of Jorge Lopez and Lucas Sims to the bullpen, as well as bringing in Paul Dejong and Amed Rosario to provide infield depth.
2025 Outlook
From their offseason approach, it seems that the Nats braintrust still think the team is at least a year away from being a viable playoff threat. The lack of spending also turns up the hot seat on ownership. As 2019 gets further in the rear view mirror, fans will tire of all the losing seasons. There is a good chance that 2025 is another losing season.
However, the Nationals will be looking to improve their win total with all of their young talent. A third straight 71-91 season would not be acceptable. 2025 is still all about developing the young guys, but there is starting to be more pressure as the rebuild drags on. Nationals fans want to see progress in 2025. There were some good moves in the offseason, but the rebuild is still not over, even if the team says so publicly.