What would the Nationals signing Alex Bregman mean for Brady House?

In case you didn't know, the Washington Nationals are going to be players for some big names in free agency. In just the past week alone, we have seen the club be involved in rumors for first baseman Christian Walker, outfielder Anthony Santander, and most notably third baseman Alex Bregman.

Whether or not the Nationals will sign any of them remains to be seen, but with Bregman being the biggest name that the team could be in on, let's take a look at some potential scenarios for third base prospect Brady House if the team does indeed sign Bregman.

Scenario 1: Trade House along with other prospects for starting pitching help

To me, this is the most logical scenario if the club chooses to offer up a long-term deal to Alex Bregman that he accepts. We know that the Nationals have a dire need for a veteran starting pitcher, and House would likely become an expendable trade chip in this case.

As for a potential trade partner? I would look to the Seattle Mariners, who have an abundance of elite starting pitching talent, and likely will need to part with one of their arms in order to significantly upgrade their lineup that ultimately kept them out of the postseason this year. With arms like Luis Castillo, George Kirby, Logan Gilbert, Bryce Miller, and Bryan Woo, it's not unfair to say that the Mariners legitimately have 5 aces on their staff, and can reasonably stand to move one of them.

In this case, I don't think the Mariners would deal Castillo or Kirby, but I do think that Bryce Miller could be had for the right price. Miller, who went 12-8 with a 2.94 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, and 171 strikeouts would step into this rotation and immediately be the ace of the staff, and would certainly be an extension candidate as well from the Nationals. I think a package of House (WSH #3 prospect), either outfielder Daylen Lile (WSH #12) or Robert Hassell III (WSH #13), and an elite pitching prospect like Jarlin Susana (WSH #4) or Cade Cavalli (WSH #9) could be enough for the Mariners to seriously consider moving Miller.

Scenario 2: Move Bregman to second, trade Luis Garcia Jr.

This is the scenario that I would consider to be more of a long shot, but would allow the Nationals to keep House in the system, and give him a chance to crack the Opening Day roster in 2025. While it would be difficult to imagine the Nationals wanting to trade Luis Garcia Jr. after his breakout 2024 season, there's also a chance that his value might never be higher, and perhaps the club would be interested in cashing him in while his trade value would be at his highest.

With Bregman's camp recently saying that he would reportedly be open to playing second base in order to increase his interest from potential clubs in free agency, perhaps the club would want to sign him and move him to second, allowing House to still be the third baseman of the future and allow a guy like Jose Tena to be a placeholder until he's ready.

As for a potential trade partner, I would look to a team like the Los Angeles Dodgers, Seattle Mariners, or even a team like the New York Yankees, as all of those clubs have both the farm talent available to be able to swing a deal for Garcia, and will likely be looking for a new face at second base going into next season as a contender.

What do you think of my two potential scenarios if the Nationals sign Bregman? Would you rather trade Brady House or Luis Garcia Jr.? As always, please let me know on X, @DCBerk.