The Washington Nationals are headed for a lengthy rebuild. After failing to properly reset the organization after the Juan Soto trade, and supporting the great influx of talent that came back in that deal with legitimate homegrown talent, the team is arguably in a similar position to where they found themselves a few summers back when the Soto deal went through.
In what is sure to be a very busy offseason for the new President of Baseball Operations for the Nationals, Paul Toboni, his team made a somewhat surprising move earlier this week. After years of being a member of the Nationals organization, this former utilityman will now be looking for a new home.
Darren Baker, the son of former Nationals manager Dusty Baker, will now become a free agent after requesting his release from the Nationals earlier this week. The move is a somewhat surprising decision, given that the Nationals are mired in a rebuild and need as much young talent as possible, but it may well have been a smart one for the younger Baker.
The utilityman was actually drafted by the Nationals twice, first in 2017 out of high school in the 27th round, and then again in 2021 as the team's 10th-round selection. Now 25-years-old and soon turning 26, Baker will be in search of his next opportunity, and hopefully one that will give him a better opportunity to make the big leagues and become a regular contributor.
Baker can flat out hit, as evidenced by his .280 average in 453 career minor league games, but in his minor league career he has just 7 career homers. His profile is a tricky one to find a home for long-term, as his glove is decent as are his wheels, but the power will likely never become loud enough for him to be an everyday player. His glove is decent, and he's logged games at multiple positions throughout his career, and he seems to profile as a useful backup or utility player if given the opportunity.
At a minimum though, Baker deserves more of an opportunity in the big leagues than he was given with the Nationals, as in his 14 career big league at-bats for the Nationals in 2024 he accumulated 7 hits with 2 doubles, showing his great contact skills. He was unable to earn a call-up in 2025, as he was clearly behind younger players with more upside like Nasim Nuñez in the organizational pecking order.
Regardless of what comes next for Baker, it will be interesting to see how his career pans out, and I and the rest of the team here at District on Deck will certainly be rooting for him!
What do you think of the Nationals releasing Darren Baker? As always, please let me know on X, @DCBerk.