A burning question shared among many Washington Nationals is, "What direction are we headed?" Since the Nats won the World Series in 2019, they have been among the league's worst teams in nearly all statistical categories. Fans have watched many of their favorite players depart via free agency or trade in this span. Ownership has shown little commitment to increasing its willingness to spend on free agents. While many fans patiently wait for the switch to flip, others have become restless. Why are the Nationals in this position?
One of the first and most important reasons the Nats are in the dumpster of the league is due to budgetary restraints. This is not due to ownership not having the funds; those funds are tied up in just a few players. Stephen Strasburg is still on the Nats' books at 32 million per season, according to Spoctrac.com. That situation, while unfortunate for Strasburg, has limited the Nats' ability to diversify their budget. Until this offseason, Patrick Corbin was being paid 30 million per season. Ownership is restricted to offering one-year deals at a maximum of 12 million. Nats' fans have welcomed free agents such as Nelson Cruz, Cesar Hernandez, and Nick Senzel, all of whom were disasters. It's hard to imagine the Nats investing in a free agent until Strasburg is off the books, with 2026 being the last season of his dead money.
The Nationals' coaching staff has had little to no change in the last few seasons. This is another reason the Nats are in the league's bottom tier. It's time for a change in the Nats' dugout, and the statistics back that argument. The Nats hit 135 home runs as a team last season compared to the New York Yankees' 237. The Nats' 135 was suitable for second-worst in the league. Washington had the eighth-worst team ERA in the league at 4.30, according to baseball-reference.com. For Darnell Coles and Jim Hickey, their time is past due; they're holding back the development of the talented players on the Nats' roster.
Looking at the future, the Nationals will be the number one selection in the 2025 MLB Draft. Strasburg's contract will be off the books following 2026. The young core of CJ Abrams, Luis Garcia Jr., Keibert Ruiz, James Wood, Dylan Crews, and MacKenzie Gore are all at the MLB level. There are many reasons for fans to be optimistic about the state of the Washington Nationals. But there are underlying problems holding the team back from success. Where are you on the totem pole? Are you patiently waiting or growing restless with ownership?