3 potential Nationals free agent targets still alive in the Postseason

With the Division Series round now officially in the rearview mirror thanks to former Washington National Lane Thomas doing what he does best in mashing left-handed pitching, let's take a look at a few options remaining in the postseason that could be Nationals targets in free agency.

I will preface this by saying there are multiple options on all 4 of the remaining teams that would make a ton of sense on the Nationals. Chances are, there will be pieces that the site uploads on those players later on, so no need to worry there. However, the 3 players in this blog are going to be hot commodities in free agency, and the likelihood that they sign in DC may not be as high as we would like it to be. Washington will have to shell out some major money to take steps forward this offseason, so hopefully names like the ones below will actually be somewhat of a possibility.

However, I do believe that all 3 of these players could make a ton of sense for the Nationals in free agency, and I'll dive into their fits with this team below.

OF Teoscar Hernández - Los Angeles Dodgers

Out of all three of the names I chose to include on this list, I think this one actually might be the most realistic of a possibility for the Nationals. Simply put, Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernández is a true professional hitter. The guy continues to get better, and bounced back beautifully this season with the Dodgers after a career-worst season with the Seattle Mariners in 2023. How did he bounce back? He did so with a slash line of .272/.339/.501 with an .840 OPS to go along with 33 homers and 99 RBIs.

The 31-year-old would add a truly feared bat with a lot of pop to a lineup that desperately needs one. You would have to think that him signing with the Nats would force a move of Jacob Young to the bench as a 4th outfielder, as Hernández is a solid defender in the outfield as well. He does strike out a lot, but the value he could bring offensively besides that would easily outweigh the strikeouts. Hernández wouldn't be cheap, but would be well worth the investment.

1B Pete Alonso - New York Mets

This next one feels pretty unlikely given the fact that Pete Alonso has been one of the faces of the franchise for the New York Mets for awhile now, and their magical playoff run this year makes him more likely to be resigned in my opinion. However, for the sake of this article, let's try to imagine Pete Alonso at first for the Nationals. Seems pretty easy to me, as you would think the team has a clear desire to upgrade the position, and Alonso will likely be the most sought after option for the position on the open market.

He will be just 30-years-old by Opening Day 2025, and Alonso and his 226 career homers would be a seamless fit in DC. The guy crushes baseballs and rarely misses games, and as much as I don't enjoy rooting for the Mets or Alonso's corniness in the Home Run Derby every year, I would love this signing. His 34 homers this year were the lowest output of his career (excluding the covid-shortened season), yet he still managed a .788 OPS. Similar to Hernández, Alonso will not be cheap, and the Nats would likely have to pay a bit extra to pry him away from a division rival, but man this would be perfect.

OF Juan Soto - New York Yankees

We all knew this one had to be in here. In what is surely not going to be the only piece we put out regarding a Juan Soto reunion, it's no secret that the outfielder, who turns just 26-years-old in 12 days, will be the talk of the offseason. He needs no introduction, as if you're reading this piece you certainly know his impact on this franchise. Soto's free agency has been speculated on since he declined a 15-year, $440M extension from the Nats before being dealt to the San Diego Padres in 2021. While I am not quite sure he will be able to reach the $700M mark that Shohei Ohtani got last offseason from the Dodgers, there is no doubt that Scott Boras wants to get one last big contract before retirement.

Soto loves DC, that much we definitely know. We also know that he not only wants to get what he deserves, but wants to be somewhere that he knows will be looking to build around him. The chances that the Nats shell out the money needed to land him are not super promising, but if the Lerner family wants a reason to fill up the park for the next decade or more, an outfield of James Wood, Dylan Crews, and Juan Soto (unless he wants to move to first base) is more than worth the price of admission alone.

I obviously would not consider the Nationals to be the favorites to land Juan Soto this offseason. In fact, I don't even know if I'd consider them a Top 5 threat to land him, but I do know that there is a chance, and that's all we can really ask for at this juncture.

Which remaining player in the Postseason would you want to see in DC next year? As always, please let me know on X, @DCBerk.