Washington Nationals: For And Against Major Decisions
Your District On Deck writers debated major topics that the Washington Nationals are facing.
James and I got together to look at both sides of three important questions that Washington is currently debating.
Should Washington Continue Going All In?
James Simmons: In my opinion, I do feel the Nationals should continue to play as if they are a World Series contender. The division has gotten stronger, this is no secret. Though, the Nationals have a good core of talented baseball players who can still compete for a playoff spot. As they proved in 2019, all a team needs is a seat at the table. With the pitching staff this team has, they can make a run like they did two years ago.
With Max Scherzer’s contract coming off the books at the end of the season, the Nationals are afforded some leeway to spend some money this year. Mike Rizzo is on record saying he is going to field a championship-caliber team, or spend money trying. The priority is a power-hitting outfielder and a fourth starter. If the Nationals are going to compete, they’ll need to open the checkbook for these positions. I have written on this site before how teams can make it to the playoffs with light hitting catchers, so I am not worried about signing an offensive threat there. I also feel Ryan Zimmerman will be brought back, so whoever is signed to play first base will need to know they’ll be sharing some time with Mr. National. This limits the options some, I think.
All this to say, while the Washington Nationals are more than just one piece away from doing serious damage, they are a lot closer to being a playoff team, than the team who finished in the cellar in an injury-riddled 2020 campaign.
Max Rayman:
Washington needs to take a good look in the mirror and realize what is going on around them. Atlanta is the second-best team in the NL. New York has a new owner who is committed to finally building around ace Jacob deGrom. Miami made the playoffs for the first time since 2003 and is a year away from seriously contending. The Phillies have given mixed messages, but the signing of Dave Dombrowski shows that they are committed to competing.
Washington’s once stacked core has begun to dwindle. Gone are Bryce Harper, Daniel Murphy, and Anthony Rendon. Ryan Zimmerman is on the verge of retirement and Howie Kendrick decided to hang the cleats up last night. Yes, Juan Soto, Trea Turner, Max Scherzer, Patrick Corbin, and Stephen Strasburg are all still under contract. But the big three suffered a huge setback in 2020 due to injuries and inconsistencies. With a hampered offense, Washington cannot afford their greatest strength to struggle.
With holes at first, second, third, outfield, and the back of the rotation, Washington doesn’t have the money to properly fix each issue. Instead, they will need to have multiple patchwork signings just to stay afloat. The Nationals still lack a power bat behind Juan Soto in the lineup and that will take up close to half of Washington’s remaining $45 million. This is a completely different story if ownership allows Rizzo to go over the luxury tax. But then that will bring about a new set of problems.
Should The Nationals Sign J.T. Realmuto?
James Simmons: No, they should not. J.T. Realmuto is the best catcher on the open market. J.T. Realmuto is a power-hitting backstop. J.T. Realmuto is too expensive and wants too many years on his contract.
With the New York Mets signing James McCann, the plot thickens a little bit on whether the Nationals will be the ones to land Realmuto. Manager Davey Martinez has said he is comfortable with Yan Gomes catching 100 games if need be. You know what, I am too. The Nationals moved one step closer to not signing Realmuto when they signed catcher Welington Castillo to a minor league contract. While I do still think the Nats could make a move and acquire a catcher (ahem, Gary Sanchez) via trade, I also believe they are okay moving forward with Gomes as the main man.
Like I mentioned in the previous slide, the Nationals are more than just one piece away. For the money and commitment Realmuto is asking for, the Nationals would be better off spreading the wealth around some and addressing different areas. They can get a Marcell Ozuna and Masahiro Tanaka (total dollars) and have money left over, for what they’d have to shell out for Realmuto.
Max Rayman: J.T. Realmuto has been linked to Washington for what seems like an eternity (since 2018) and Mike Rizzo should finally pull the trigger. After all, Realmuto has been the best catcher in baseball since 2017. Since making his debut in 2014, Realmuto is hitting .278, with 95 homers, 358 RBIs, and an OPS of .783. Only 29 years old, Washington should sign the star catcher, which will bring stability to behind the dish for the first time since Wilson Ramos left. Kurt Suzuki and Yan Gomes have been solid, but both are on the wrong side of 30 and Suzuki is a free agent.
While catchers tend to deteriorate faster than any other position, Washington should start to have Realmuto also learn first base so he can extend his career. Paying Realmuto $20+ million a year is a tough pill to swallow for a 30-year-old catcher but it is the necessary move. He provides the power the team has been missing and will add much-needed protection for Soto.
Should Washington Start A Rebuild?
James Simmons: No, not yet at least. I do think the Nationals have a lot going for them and depending on the free agent moves they make the remaining offseason, are a playoff contender. The Nationals should be treating the season as such.
Not to say, if they get out of the gate slow and enter the dog days of summer well out of contention, they shouldn’t retool at that point. There are plenty of contracts coming off the books next year. The Nationals can sell off some rental players, though only Max Scherzer would garner getting a potential prospect in return. If the Nats do sell, they need to go all in and sell heavy. They can’t afford to sit on their hands like this past offseason, making no moves at all even though they knew the season was a lost cause.
At this point getting Jackson Rutledge some big league innings would be good. Seasoning for some of the other younger players to determine if they are a part of future is key as well. If the Nationals want to extend Juan Soto and Trea Turner they need to prove they aren’t far from competing in the near future. A full fledged rebuild isn’t in the cards, a retooling could be, though.
Max Rayman: I have advocated for a rebuild in the past and I will again. The window is almost completely shut. Don’t go down with the ship and avoid the same fate of the San Fransisco Giants and Kansas City Royals. Both teams won a World Series (multiple in the Giants case), and instead of rebuilding, decided to power through to keep the window open as long as possible. For the Royals, most of their core left in free agency and Kansas City was unable to receive anything besides compilation picks. The Giants are stuck with multiple large contracts that have become terrible and are officially rebuilding. All of their trade pieces have either left or lost their value.
Washington has the worst farm system in baseball with zero top 100 prospects according to MLB Pipeline. Trading off their star-studded pitching staff will help them restock a barren system. Scherzer has a year left on his contract and can help any contender. Corbin is a year removed from being the best lefty in baseball. Strasburg has a large contract, but if Washington agrees to eat some of the money, they can receive some top prospects. This will help clear the books while setting the team up in the future. Keep Trea Turner and Juan Soto and build the team around them.
Take a page out of the Chicago White Sox’s book. I understand the sentiment of keeping fan favorites who are still at the top of their game. But sometimes it is better to cut your losses when you’re ahead than to suffer a collapse that could have been prevented.