One of the bigger pieces of news that came out over the last couple of days is that Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is officially headed for free agency in 2026. After his camp and the Toronto Blue Jays had been in discussions throughout the offseason, the sides were unable to agree to a new deal, and it appears that they might not have even been very close.
Now what does this mean? Well, it means that we are going to see one of the best offensive talents in baseball become an unrestricted free agent, and Vladdy Jr. will undoubtedly command top dollar on the free agent market next year. In a sense, this is the exact scenario that the Nationals found themselves in with Bryce Harper, in that they had a homegrown talent that was destined for free agency, and once they hit the open market, you have no control over where they decide to sign.
Of course, the Nationals infamously watched Harper walk for nothing despite entertaining offers for him at the trade deadline in 2018, and now the Blue Jays will likely face some of the same circumstances as well. The Jays will certainly look to entertain offers for him at the deadline should they be out of contention, but trading him could also likely ensure that he does not go back to the Jays at all.
As for how the Nationals fit into all of this madness with Guerrero Jr.? Well, in a recent piece by Matt Snyder over at CBS Sports, perhaps the club could find themselves as a potential destination for the future prized free agent. Snyder assessed the chances that all 30 teams in MLB would have to sign Vladdy Jr. in free agency next season, and his ranking of the Nationals was quite intriguing.
In fact, he had the Nationals just outside of the Top 5 teams, coming in as the 6th best destination for his services. His logic for picking the Nationals was quite simple, given that they currently only have one player on a post-arbitration deal beyond this season in Keibert Ruiz, the club will have a lot of wiggle room to be able to spend on a free agent addition next year.
"There is some intriguing young talent in the lineup in players like James Wood, Dylan Crews and CJ Abrams. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. would be a nice veteran presence in the middle of them. It is an excellent fit, should the Nationals want to pony up and Guerrero like the idea of joining the up-and-comers. "Matt Snyder, CBS Sports
Combine Snyder's quote above with the team's ultimate financial flexibility going into next offseason, and it is clear to see why Guerrero Jr. could potentially find his new home in DC, but of course there are a lot of things that will have to happen for it to become realistic. As of right now, speculation about where he will end up in free agency or if the Nationals will spend legitimate money next winter is pointless, as there is so much time and baseball to be played between now and then.
Nonetheless, it is always fun to dream about what life would be like with a true superstar picking our beloved Washington Nationals over some of the other powerhouse teams in the league, and it wasn't that long ago that the club was capable of pulling off signings like that. Perhaps if the young talent in the organization takes a big step forward like many anticipate this year, convincing Guerrero Jr. to join them will not be as hard of a sell.
What do you think of this early connection between Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the Nationals? As always, please let me know on X, @DCBerk.