As of December 29th, 2025 take a look at the projected 2026 payroll for the Washington Nationals. Go ahead, pull it up. As of right now, it's hovering right around $98 million. This is in a division where the Mets and Phillies are both treating the league's luxury tax as nothing more than a suggestion, the Nationals are currently ranked in the bottom third in spending.
We were told this "rebuild" was all about timing. Told that the money would be there when the kids finally arrived at Nats Park. Well, James Wood is here. Dylan Crews is (somewhat) here. The window is supposedly beginning to open. So why does it feel like the Lerner family is treating the franchise like a line item that they are trying to minimize?
There is a growing, harsh sentiment among the fanbase that we are not actually in a "rebuild," but rather in a salary dump. Since 2021, the Nationals have operated on a basis with the urgency of a team that is content to do nothing more than collect their revenue sharing checks. While the Orioles just across the beltway got a new owner that is slashing concession prices in half and actually showing the fans that he cares about winning... we are stuck with an ownership group that hasn't even shown any signs that they will back Paul Toboni with the funds to sign a legitimate veteran starter.
Hiring a 33-year-old manager is a great way to save money, but it is unfortunately a terrible way to build a contender. If the goal is truly to "build something that is the envy of sport," you can't do it on a bargain bin budget.
By refusing to spend, ownership is committing the ultimate act of managerial malpractice. They are forcing the young core to play in front of an empty Nats Park and a frustrated fanbase because they won't invest in the floor raiser that would help to make this team more competitive and take the next step.
The 2026 season should be the launching pad for the new era of Nationals baseball, but without any major financial commitment, it's just going to be another year of waiting until the next. Fans have been patient, but there is only so long you can wait.
To the Lerner family: If you aren't going to spend like a big market team, sell the team to someone who will. The fans who were treated to a World Championship not too long ago deserve better.