Could the Nationals acquire a catcher and starting pitcher from a rebuilding team?

The biggest weaknesses that lie on the current rendition of the 2026 Washington Nationals lie at two of the most important positions: Catcher and Starting Pitcher. With potential free agency target James McCann recently signing a one-year, 2.75 million dollar deal to return to the Arizona Diamondbacks, it's time to explore some potential trades Nationals' President of Baseball Operations Paul Toboni should look into to help an effort to restore relevant baseball in our Nation's Capital.

Here's what the Nats should do in one simple trade to address both of their major needs:

Nationals Receive: Catcher Ryan Jeffers, Right-Handed Pitcher Joe Ryan

Twins Receive: RHP Josiah Gray, OF Robert Hassell III, INF Luke Dickerson, LHP Alex Clemmey, RHP Andry Lara

The Minnesota Twins completely dismantled their entire team last season at the trade deadline, being deemed one of the most jarring sell-offs in modern baseball history. The roster has been left depleted to say the least, and with a frustrated fanbase and a front office on record stating a need for an "organizational reset" why not make yet another trade and further progress the full scale rebuild.

With both Jeffers and Ryan nearing the arbitration years that will be expensive, and having already expressed disinterest in continuing to open the checkbook the Twins would be able to get a younger and cheaper MLB replacement starter with Josiah Gray and a highly touted soon to be ready prospect with Robert Hassell III.

Additionally, the Nationals would be sacrificing a couple of their touted young prospects in Dickerson and Clemmey, and there is a strong likelihood this package wouldn't even be enough for Minnesota to seriously entertain a deal.

Jeffers has been a proven force on the offensive side of things, producing over a 120 wRC+ in multiple seasons so far in his career. Keibert Ruiz would be given more time to develop his own abilities at the plate without the pressure of being the everyday catcher, potentially giving the Nats one of the best tandems behind the plate down the road.

Ryan is a reliable, very high strikeout rate pitcher that would slot in very nicely into an inexperienced Nationals starting pitching rotation. Both players are under team control through the 2027 season, right in the window of the arrival and expected production from James Wood, CJ Abrams, and Dylan Crews. Ryan is set to be maybe the most coveted arm on the trade market this offseason, and there is a very high chance the Nationals would find themselves in a bidding war to acquire him.

For that reason alone, the odds the Nationals actually swing a trade like this during this winter is certainly slim, but if Toboni and company believe that the club would be wise to get a controllable ace and potential backtop of the future, the organization certainly has the farm system to be able to get a trade done.