Things are not going well for the Washington Nationals right now. With the team on the verge of being swept by the Miami Marlins and Manager Dave Martinez throwing his players under the bus, the outlook for the rest of the season looks pretty bleak as of the time of writing.
One of the main reasons the Washington Nationals have really struggled this season is the overwhelming lack of production they have received from the catcher position, where the Nationals have the worst backstop duo in the entire league. After looking like he was finally breaking out to begin the season, Keibert Ruiz has regressed to the point that many fans are calling for him to be let go.
Ruiz has been awful on both sides of the ball, and for a guy that can't hit or field his position, he sure does get a lot of leash and playing time from this coaching staff. But at the same time, it's not like things behind him are any better, as backup catcher Riley Adams is currently hitting .096, woof. The extension that Ruiz signed with the Nationals that will keep him DC until 2030 is aging like milk, and the team has already begun to show signs that they don't believe in him long-term.
At the very least, Drew Millas needs to be given a legitimate opportunity either very soon this season or next year, as he presents legitimate offensive upside and true athleticism from the catcher position, something the Nationals do not currently have on their roster. While Millas has yet to make the most of his opportunities when brought up to the big league level, the former prospect has also not received much playing time.
Most Valuable Catcher Tandems pic.twitter.com/Qed11fnBy0
— Thomas Nestico (@TJStats) June 11, 2025
The team simply can't continue to have a catching duo that is by far the worst in the big leagues, and something needs to be done sooner vice later. It's safe to say that catcher needs to be a priority upgrade for the Washington Nationals in the near future, and here are the possibilities that the club has to upgrade the position.
Make a trade
This seems like the most logical option for the Nationals, but it would also be the most costly. Whether they want to go after a blocked prospect like Harry Ford (MLB #63 prospect) in Seattle, or really swing for the fences and go after another top prospect in Samuel Basallo (MLB #16) from the Orioles, the Nationals could swing a deal to get a high-end talent into the organization. While the Orioles seem content to keep Basallo and play him either at first base, DH, or have him split time behind the dish with star catcher Adley Rutschman, the team should at least kick the tires on the uber-talented top prospect.
Remember, the Nationals did something similar back in 2010, when they acquired Wilson Ramos, who was a Top 100 Prospect, from the Minnesota Twins as he was blocked by Joe Mauer. That move ended up being a pretty great one, and the Nationals could realistically put together a package for Ford, who is blocked by Cal Raleigh in Seattle, although Ford has his own defensive questions. Regardless, Ford has tremendous offensive potential, and is more than ready for a chance to play in the big leagues.
Sign a veteran stopgap
Out of the 3 options in this piece, I can almost guarantee that the Nationals will do this once the offseason begins. While the market at the position for this upcoming free agent class is not great, there are certainly multiple serviceable names that would be a clear upgrade over the team's incumbent duo.
The most cost-efficient option is likely to be Victor Caratini, who many other people on other sites have predicted, and while he is not a game-changer, he is a clear upgrade both offensively and defensively. Besides Caratini, other names like Danny Jansen or JT Realmuto, who might be more expensive despite his old age, could be had as well.
The preferred option would be William Contreras of the Brewers, but given that he has a $12M club option, it seems unlikely he will actually hit the open market, even despite his down numbers this season. If he somehow does become an unrestricted free agent, he would become priority #1 for the Nationals this offseason, in my opinion.
Hope that a prospect forces their way to the show
Finally, the only other option that could potentially happen but seems tremendously unlikely is that a prospect within the organization already forces their way to the big leagues. This option would be the most cost-efficient way to upgrade the position, but as of right now, it would be pretty difficult to look at the organization's catcher depth and say that any prospect will be ready.
Caleb Lomavita, the Nationals #8 prospect, who the team selected with their Competitive Balance pick they received from the Kansas City Royals in the Hunter Harvey trade last year, would be the only one who could possibly make his way up, but even he is still in High-A right now. Fellow 2024 draftees Kevin Bazzell (#13) and Sir Jamison Jones (#29) are both pretty far from being able to contribute, as is International signing Daniel Hernandez (#30), who is just 17-years-old. With Bazzell is in Low-A with underwhelming numbers for a college guy, and Jones is just 19-years-old and currently in rookie ball along with Hernandez, there is talent on the way, but not soon enough.
How do you want the Nationals to upgrade the catcher position? As always, please let me know on X, @DCBerk.