Nationals Off-season Review

Man, it’s a tough time to be a Nats fan. I think the last time I even wrote about the Nationals was before the Soto trade, and needless to say it hasn’t gotten much better since then. But life goes on, and baseball is only a few short months away, and thus I once again have the burning desire to write about baseball, so here we are. On a related note, I’ve had some crazy writer’s block lately, so if you guys have any suggestions for new posts, or any topics you’d like to see covered (sports or otherwise), let me know!

The Nats haven’t made any moves that could be considered “blockbuster” since the offseason began (unsurprisingly), but they have made a few transactions that might just pay off. I’m gonna highlight a few of those, and maybe, for once, a baseball take on this page will come to fruition! Let’s get started.

11/29/22: Nationals signed free agent CF Stone Garrett, formerly w/ Arizona

Stone Garrett has not only one of the best names in baseball, but also some nice potential upside at a very reasonable price, which is a theme you’ll begin to notice. Admittedly, Garrett played very little last year, but he slashed a pretty respectable .276/.309/.539 (side note: slash line = batting average/on-base percentage/slugging percentage) in 27 games with the Diamondbacks. Once again, very small sample size, but there’s no reason to believe he can’t put up numbers just below that in even just a half-season of play. 4 homers in 27 games sure isn’t bad, and the Nats aren’t exactly loaded with star outfielders at this point. Solid, low-risk high-reward pickup.

11/29/22: Nationals signed free agent 3B Jeimer Candelario, formerly w/ Detroit

I love Jeimer Candelario because, once again, his name is Jeimer Candelario. The Nationals may not lead the league in much of anything, but we’ll at least be top-five in cool names. 

All jokes aside, Candelario is an established big-leaguer with a relatively solid reputation, if you ignore last year. Obviously, most teams did not ignore last year, which is why the Nats have him. Last year, Jeimer put up a .633 ops; the year before, a significantly-better .795. In 2021 he led the league in doubles, slashed a solid .271/.351/.443, and played in 149 games for the Tigers. Folks, he’s only 29 this year! There’s no reason to believe that he can’t return to his 2021 form, and if he does, Mike Rizzo will have the power corner bat he’s been looking for. I love this signing, and if this comes back to bite me, I never said it. 

12/10/22: Nationals signed free agent RHP Trevor Williams, formerly w/ NYM

Somehow, someway, the bullpen was the strength last year for the Nationals; Rizzo appears to want it to stay that way. Williams was a solid piece of a good bullpen for the Mets for the last two years, putting up significantly more innings in 2022 than 2021, and posting a 3.21 ERA in 89.2 innings pitched. He’s a versatile arm that could certainly pick up a start here or there if needed, and I expect him to hold down a bullpen spot for the majority of the year, potentially sliding into the rotation if too many starters get injured, or if Patrick Corbin proves to be completely useless once again. Don’t expect to see him on the team after the trade deadline; the same could be said for anyone on this list, if they have a good first half of the season. 

12/07/22: Nationals claimed RHP Thad Ward off waivers

Seeing as Ward has yet to pitch in the majors, it’s hard to predict his role this season, but this might be one of the few long-term moves made by Rizzo so far. Ward, from what I can gather, was a pretty coveted part of the Red Sox’ pitching pipeline; expect to see him in the majors at some point this year, so I guess we’ll see if he’s as good as they think he is. 

12/22/22: Nationals claimed SS Jeter Downs off waivers

My favorite acquisition of the offseason. Jeter Downs was a key prospect in the infamous Mookie Betts-to-LA trade that Red Sox fans still have nightmares about. Once the Sox designated him for assignment, Rizzo was all over him. Sure, he hasn’t hit well in the majors, but he also only had 39 ABs, and I don’t trust that the front office in Boston isn’t just incompetent. Again, there’s no risk here, and I love Rizzo’s willingness to take a chance on a former top prospect, with the potential for a huge payoff. 

1/4/23: Nationals signed free agent 1B Dominic Smith, formerly w/ NYM

Not only is Dominic Smith a franchise first baseman with light-tower power in MLB The Show 21, but he’s also a former top prospect with solid potential. Like Downs, he struggled last year, hitting only .194 in 58 games. Unlike Downs, he has at least one successful year, albeit in a shortened 2020 campaign, when he played in 50 of 60 total games and slashed .316/.377/.616 (which is REALLY GOOD). I’m not gonna get too excited, but MAN, if Smith can just find himself from 2020 again we very well might wanna hang onto this guy. He’s only 28, and unless Joey Meneses somehow de-ages and continues his otherworldly production from last year, first base is wide open. We deserve for Dominic Smith to work out and give us something to enjoy this year, right? 

1/06/23: Nationals signed free agent 2B Michael Chavis, formerly w/ Pittsburgh

A short-yet-successful campaign with the Pirates in 2021 convinced them to give him a much larger role in 2022, and he, regrettably, did not make the most of it. They could’ve seen that coming, considering they acquired him from the Red Sox on the heels of a 31-game stretch where he hit pretty terribly. The question becomes, once again, do the Nationals get late-2021 Michael Chavis, or any-other-time Michael Chavis? Regardless, this is another low-risk pickup that fills a need; he’ll probably still spend most of his time in the minors, unless Garcia, Vargas, or potentially Downs suffer injuries. The same could be said for Dominic Smith.

1/10/23: Nationals signed free agent LF Corey Dickerson, formerly w/ STL

Corey Dickerson is one of those guys who gets dedicated fan pages on Instagram because he’s always around yet consistently mediocre. Although, in all honesty, the numbers are pretty solid. Last year, with the Cardinals, Corey slashed a respectable .267/.300/.399; in years prior, his numbers are comparable. In fact, he’s by far the most consistent player in this article, and he will probably play about half the season for the Nationals, and he will probably play about the same as he always has. I’m not mad at this signing at all; I just hope he can do what he always does, and maybe we can flip him at the deadline for someone with a higher ceiling. 

That’s all of the notable signings. See what I mean? None of these guys are gonna be franchise cornerstones, but I’m honestly impressed with Rizzo’s ability to acquire mid-tier, high-ceiling talent at an affordable price. We’ll see if it pays off, but I’m cautiously optimistic.

If you made it this far, thanks for reading! I’ll probably post about more baseball sometime soon (perhaps the World Baseball Classic, once it starts), but let me know if y’all have any suggestions!

Emory