CHICAGO, IL - OCTOBER 11: General mananger Mike Rizzo of the Washington Nationals speaks to the media before game four of the National League Division Series against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on October 11, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
It’s been almost two months since MLB’s lockout began, and the two sides have just recently begun inching towards a new deal. While an agreement isn’t anywhere near close to fruition, it is a breath of fresh air to see the two sides talking for more than ten minutes at a time. Now that the two sides have begun passing proposals back and forth, it is only fair to once again begin wonder about what the Nationals need to address before the 2022 season kicks off.
In particular, the front office needs to answer three important questions before moving forward.
Will Washington Splurge On A Power Bat?
The Nationals offense is led by the second-best hitter in baseball in Juan Soto. Only 23, he is fresh off of a career year where he hit .313, with 29 homers, 95 RBIs, and an OPS of .999. This culminated in him being named to his first All-Star team, second All MLB-First Team, winning his second straight silver slugger, and finishing second in NL MVP voting.
While Soto stole the show, Josh Bell put on a performance of his own, hitting .261, with 27 homers, 88 RBIs, and an OPS of .823. The slugger provided much-needed protection for Soto in the lineup, something the team lacked in 2020.
Over the last two months of the season, the Nats offense led the NL in OBP (.348), and walk percentage (BB%) (11.1%), were third in batting average (.257), and were fourth in wRC+ (104). While they excelled at getting on base, the team was dreadful when it came to delivering the big hit. Washington ranked fifth in OPS (.762), eighth in RBIs (252) ninth in SLG (.415), and 10th in homers (63).
With plenty of power bats left on the open market, now is the perfect time for Washington to bolster their lineup. Kyle Schwarber, Nick Castellanos, Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Carlos Correa, and Trevor Story would all be massive improvements.
Before the lockout, Washington was playing it slowly, only signing César Hernández and bringing Alcides Escobar back on respective one-year deals. They chose to sit on the sidelines and were content with other teams shelling out massive deals. The Mets, Rangers, Blue Jays, Mariners, and Tigers all handed out contracts over $100 million.
But once the market opens back up, will Washington finally make a splash or decide to save money and continue with their internal options? Not splurging on a player attached to a qualifying offer is understandable, but that doesn’t mean Washington should be content with their situation.
Bryant and Schwarber are just two players who aren’t attached to the qualifying offer and would be instant upgrades. Scott Boras stated in a press conference that Juan Soto won’t sign an extension until he knows his team is set up to contend.
Keeping Juan Soto happy needs to be the Nationals’ number one priority and they have the opportunity to improve the offense and speed up the rebuild.
PHILADELPHIA, PA – JULY 29: Josh Bell #19 of the Washington Nationals looks on against the Philadelphia Phillies during Game One of the doubleheader at Citizens Bank Park on July 29, 2021 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
Is Josh Bell A Part Of The Rebuild?
We’ve advocated for re-signing Josh Bell in the past and our mindset on the situation hasn’t wavered. Bell is the second-best player on the Nationals and is a top ten first baseman in all of MLB. It should be a no-brainer to keep him in D.C. for the foreseeable future. However, there hasn’t been any news whether the two sides have begun discussing an extension.
Instead, it needs to be noted that Bell has one year left on his contract. If he can replicate his 2021 success, he will become a hot commodity on the trade market, allowing the Nationals to continue to bolster their improving farm system. Washington should be able to land a team’s top 15 prospect in return for Bell.
The 29-year old slugger is fresh off of a 2021 season where he slashed .261/.347/.476 and added 27 homers. As of now, he won’t command a massive contract, but first baseman don’t grow on trees and Bell should garner interest if he is able to reach free agency.
Branden Boissiere is the Nats’ top first base prospect and only has 25 games at single-A under his belt. Washington doesn’t have any other answers on the roster and will be set back if they let Bell leave. But the front office will need to figure out fast if the veteran wants to stay. He has yet to make the playoffs in his career and may want to join a contender.
Victor Robles #16 of the Washington Nationals walks to the dugout during the first inning against the New York Mets in game one of a doubleheader at Citi Field on August 12, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Adam Hunger/Getty Images) /
Victor Robles Or Lane Thomas?
Victor Robles was once viewed as a future cornerstone of the Nationals and was ranked the number four prospect in baseball. The team viewed him so highly that they continued to refuse any trades that involved the speedster.
Robles bust onto the scene in 2019, hitting .255, with 15 homers, 65 RBIs, and an OPS of .745. Defensively, he recorded 12 outfield assists, 23 DRS, and a 5.5 UZR. But since winning the World Series, he has been unable to replicate his success. This past season he started 107 games, hitting .203, with two homers, 19 RBIs, and an OPS of .605.
Consequently, Robles was demoted to AAA at the end of August in favor of newcomer Lane Thomas. Robles immediately rediscovered his swing in the minors, hitting .306, with four homers, eight RBIs, and an OPS of .962 in 24 games.
St. Louis shipped Thomas to D.C. for Jon Lester. With the Cardinals, the 26-year-old was unable to crack the lineup, but in D.C. he immediately made his presence felt. Thomas quickly became a fan favorite, hitting .270, with seven homers, 27 RBIs, and an OPS of .853. Keep in mind, he failed to hit righties, slashing .178/.274/.337 in 163 at-bats against them.
Robles has the defensive edge, but needs to show he can consistently hit MLB pitching. Since taking over, Thomas was able to provide a spark (be it a small sample size) at the top of the lineup, but needs to cut down on the swing and miss. Both players have intriguing upside, but both have to prove they can be consistent options.
