Your District On Deck writers debated major topics regarding the upcoming MLB free agency.
What should be the team’s biggest priority?
Max Rayman: Say it with me. Fix the bullpen. Washington’s relief core finished 2021 last in all of baseball in losses (42), tied for last in FIP (4.86) and blown saves (34), 29th in ERA (5.08), and fWAR (-0.2), and 28th in LOB% (67.7%).
In order for the Nationals to take the next step in the rebuild, the bullpen will need to be overhauled. Most importantly, the bullpen needs a closer, a top-end lefty, and at least one other high leverage guy. In the current baseball meta, adding two closers would be ideal, because the save doesn’t always occur in the ninth inning.
Aaron Loup, Mark Melancon (mutual option), Craig Stammen, Daniel Hudson, Brad Boxberger, Yimi García, and Corey Knebel are all ideal options.
James Simmons: There are a lot of unanswered questions with the roster still. The starting rotation lacks substance, the bullpen is a mess, the starting centerfield job is up for grabs and we are left wondering if Carter Kieboom is the third baseman of the future.
The Nationals need to prioritize developing their youth while putting capable veterans around them as the rebuild enters its first full season. Josiah Gray and Keibert Ruiz need to continue to show growth at their respective positions. Luis Garcia needs to take the reins to prove he can play every day. Signing Alcides Escobar was a good move, there will be a couple of other guys just like him the Nats can find on cheap, one-year contracts, to get through the 2022 season.
Nationals Source: Keeping the focus on the future should be the biggest priority. The team as currently constructed could certainly be a competitive team this year with small additions. For example, a team playing like the Nats did post-deadline with a better bullpen can be competitive. I truly look at 2022 as a new 2011. A potentially good team that is on the verge. 2023 to me will be the year when prospect talent is bubbling to the top and that is the time you add big names.
Joe Edelen: The Nats’ top priority should be to do any and everything in their power to sign Juan Soto to a long-term contract. There’s no debate that Soto SHOULD be the future of the Nationals, but right now, the only question that looms is how the Nationals will keep one of the game’s biggest stars. Soto doesn’t hit free agency until 2025, so there’s plenty of time, but given the Lerner’s recent reluctance to break the bank leaves room for uncertainty. The Lerner’s aren’t afraid to spend, but letting Bryce Harper and Anthony Rendon walk in back-to-back offseasons has left some fans pessimistic about their chances to keep Soto. As one of the brightest young stars in all of sports, Soto needs to be a National for life, even if that means handing him a blank check.