No, the Nationals' offseason should not be considered a "huge success" if it ended today. However, Mike Rizzo has been adding the correct pieces with the lackluster amount of money he has been given, especially when you take a look back at some of the horrid off-seasons that have happened over the last five years. While most off-seasons have been bad, 2021 was an interesting exception. The Nationals added veteran names like Kyle Schwarber, Josh Bell, Jon Lester, and Brad Hand. The Nationals were in the playoff race at one point, but that was all thanks to Kyle Schwarber hitting 15 homers in one month. Once they started going downhill, most players were traded, and the Nationals were back to square one.
Starting with 2020, the Nationals coming off a World Series championship run, they wanted to keep friendly faces around and seemed to send the same roster out again. Rizzo made his largest free agent signing by bringing back World Series MVP Stephen Strasburg on a 7-year, $245 million deal. They would also add veteran 2B Starlin Castro and RHP Will Harris on multi-year deals. Of course, 2020 was a strange, forgettable year. We know how 2021 went, so let us fast forward to 2022.
The Nationals were still looking for a third baseman that would take the place of All-Star Anthony Rendon. In came Maikel Franco. Yeah, I hope you laughed at that too. Arguably the worst offseason in recent Nats memory, the Nationals brought in the likes of Dee Strange-Gordon, Cesar Hernandez (Who was coming off a good year, but in retrospect took 450+ at-bats before hitting his first homer in a Nats uniform), and Nelson Cruz, who would have a career-worst season and admit to needing LASIK eye surgery halfway through the season. This Nationals offseason was bad, and still hurts to look back on.
2023 brought yet another shameful group of free agent signees, including 1B Dominic Smith, OF Corey Dickerson, and RHP Chad Kuhl. The Nationals did strike gold on 3B Jeimer Candelario, who would bounce back from a rough season in Detroit. Candelario would be traded at the deadline for LHP DJ Herz, who showed lots of promise when he made his debut in 2024. Besides Candelario (and RHP Trevor Williams), this free-agent class would underperform. Kuhl would miss the first month with injury, and be DFA'd by July. Dom Smith would hit in the 4-hole most games but only tally 12 homers in 153 games. Corey Dickerson was also released in June.
2024 was worse than 2023, with the Nationals only signing three notable names. They added 1B Joey Gallo, 3B Nick Senzel, and OF Eddie Rosario. Long story short, Gallo missed 4 months, Rosario was released in June and didn't hit over .200 at any point of his tenure, and while Nick Senzel had a hot stretch in April, he was also DFA'd by July.
The 2025 offseason has already featured the names of Amed Rosario, and Michael Soroka, and a reunion with 1B Josh Bell and RHP Trevor Williams. The Nationals even added Silver Slugger, and Gold Glove 1B Nathaniel Lowe in a trade with the Rangers. The offseason is not over, but so far, this has been the best offseason in recent years.