The Washington Nationals fell again in Pittsburgh on Wednesday evening following an uninspiring performance in which they did not muster a single run. It was not an ideal performance for the visiting team, and they will search for the series split tomorrow against the Pirates.
But some of the big news around the league came from Detroit, as the Tigers locked up one of their young stars in Kevin McGonigle, who has not even 3 weeks of big-league experience under his belt yet. It continued a recent trend around the league of teams locking up their young prospects before they reach superstardom, something the Nationals have avoided.
However, if they were to look to extend any youngsters, who could be in play?
Daylen Lile
With James Wood being left off this list due to him being a Scott Boras client, there is a very real possibility that Daylen Lile is the one who emerges from the pack to earn an extension. While the team has yet to engage his camp on a possible long-term deal, if he continues to improve his all-around game this year, he would be a great extension candidate.
He plays the game hard and shouldn't be terribly expensive, making him a prime option for the team to secure some good talent for a long time. Out of the 3 options on this list, Lile might be the least pricy candidate, and potentially could continue to endear himself to the fanbase as a heart and soul guy signed for years to come.
Brady House
Shifting to the dirt, Brady House could be an easy extension candidate as well who is also not affiliated with Scott Boras. He has gotten off to a solid start for the Nationals this season, and we will see if the early signs are those of a true breakout.
A former 1st-rounder and Top 100 prospect, House is a true homegrown product just like Lile who still has a lot of room left to grow. Due to the lack of young talent at the hot corner around the league, he could easily emerge as one of the better third basemen in the league in short time.
CJ Abrams
Finally, getting an extension done with CJ Abrams should be the top priority for the Nationals' front office. After an offseason in which he found himself in constant trade rumors, Abrams has come out of the gates like a man on a mission so far.
He leads the league in numerous hitting categories so far for shortstops, and while his defense remains subpar, perhaps the team will try to shift him to second base to drive his value down for an extension. We know that Abrams had talks with the team a couple years ago about an extension, but those talks never really went anywhere far.
If the Nationals are able to secure a long-term deal with Abrams, it would give them a young piece for the fanbase to align with as the team enters their next era of competitive baseball. At the same time, the Nationals could also get a massive haul for him in a trade, so time will tell if anything gets done here.
Which Nationals player would you prefer to be extended first? As always, please let me know on X, @DCBerk.
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