Did the Nationals adequately address their needs at first base and DH?

Washington's biggest weakness throughout last season was its inability to hit for power. This was perhaps most underscored by their lack of productivity from first basemen and designated hitters.

Joey Meneses couldn't make it through last season without being sent to the minor leagues, Joey Gallo had arguably a worse season than Meneses, and the Nationals were left using Juan Yepez and Andres Chapparo -- each of whom perhaps never should have left Triple-A -- down the stretch.

To some degree, these two positions have been filled recently. Washington traded left-handed relief pitcher Robert Garcia to the Texas Rangers in exchange for first baseman Nathaniel Lowe, and also signed first baseman/designated hitter Josh Bell to a modest one-year, $6 million contract.

The boxes were checked, but has the larger problem -- a complete lack of ability to hit for power -- been solved? In the immediate aftermath of these acquisitions, the answer appears to be maybe, but there were opportunities to do better.

Lowe should be viewed as a good overall player, as opposed to a star slugger. He can be counted on to hit for an average in the .260s, draw a healthy number of walks, hit 15-20 home runs, and play very respectable defense. To compare him to someone else in franchise history, think of Adam LaRoche with a bit less power potential.

Lowe will turn 30 years old in July and has two seasons remaining on his rookie contract. His career highlights include winning the Silver Slugger by batting .302 with 27 home runs in 2022, and earning a Gold Glove in 2023.

The addition of Josh Bell is more nostalgic than impactful. To that end his year-and-a-half tenure in Washington in 2021-22 was the most productive portion of his career, aside from his All-Star campaign in 2019 with the Pittsburgh Pirates. As a National, he batted .278 with 41 home runs and an OPS+ of 136. The rest of his career, however, has been fairly lackluster, and he has been a roughly league-average hitter.

Bell, who is three years older than Lowe, will likely hit for more power than his counterpart, but has become a very streaky hitter and is close to unplayable defensively

Overall, this pair of acquisitions should be viewed as good, but not great. Lowe fills the first base gap reasonably well, but isn't a needle-moving pickup. For Bell, the realistic hope is likely for him to be nothing more than a potential sign-and-flip candidate at the trade deadline. Combine that with what has been an otherwise quiet offseason for the Nationals, and there are reasons to feel underwhelmed.

There were numerous better players available on the open market, highlighted by Pete Alonso, but they also would've been more expensive. Still, adding Lowe and Bell were two solid low-budget moves. It would just be nice to graduate to something greater.

Whether you agree or disagree, you can always let me know your thoughts on Washington's offseason at @stephen_newman1.

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