Could Vlad Guerrero Jr. be the next first baseman of the Nationals?

Trade rumors are everywhere at the moment and the Nationals are no exception, with them being a name often brought up in trade discussions. There are some big names around the league who may be on the trading block, including Garrett Crochet and Ryan Helsley, but one name that isn't being mentioned often is Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. The Nationals certainly have the pieces to at least make a serious offer to the Blue Jays, but the question remains as to whether it is worth it. Let's dive into it.

Guerrero is coming off an incredible season where he slashed .323/.396/.544 and a .940 OPS, had a 165 wRC+, and recorded 6.5 fWAR. At just 25 years old, Guerrero is entering the prime of his career and is one of the best pure hitters in baseball. Needless to say, he is an absolutely perfect fit for the Nationals. He would instantly fill the role of a middle-of-the-order power hitter and would also be the everyday 1B for the team, filling a position of need. There is no question that Vlad Jr. would be a perfect fit on the Nationals, but whether or not a trade is feasible is another question.

The Nationals certainly have some pieces that could be used in trades. Of course, there are some untouchable prospects in the farm system, those being Dylan Crews, Travis Sykora, and possibly Jarlin Susana, but anyone else in the farm is fair game. Brady House and Robert Hassell III, especially after the latter's excellent Arizona Fall League season, are likely to be part of any trade package this offseason. The Blue Jays would want more than just House and Hassell, but the Nationals have plenty of young arms at the big league level that could be enticing. DJ Herz and Mitchell Parker are both young starters with at least five seasons of team control left and Jake Irvin could be a trade piece as well.

It's important to note that Guerrero has just one season of team control remaining and would become a free agent following the 2025 season, which would certainly impact the price any team would have to pay. Considering this, a realistic trade would be the Nationals receiving 1B Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. from the Blue Jays in exchange for 3B Brady House, OF Robert Hassell III, RHP Jake Irvin, and RHP Andry Lara. The Blue Jays would get an established starter and three prospects who are nearing the Majors and all have potential to be productive in the big leagues. The Nationals would get one of the most prolific hitters in the game and make the top of the lineup a threat to pitchers around the league, but the trade would not make sense unless they extended Guerrero prior to free agency.

Is Guerrero going to be traded at all this offseason? It's not too likely, but there have been rumors that the Blue Jays will seek to move him should contract negotiations fall apart. If there comes a time when the Blue Jays decide to trade Guerrero, Mike Rizzo and the Nationals should be first in line to speak to Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins to get a deal done.