Morning Briefing Exclusive: The Washington Nationals have a lot of work to do this offseason
Things in Washington Nationals land will be quiet until the World Series is over. The Nationals' front office is busy because they have a lot of work.
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Things in Washington Nationals land will be quiet until the World Series is over. However, let’s hope the Nationals' front office is busy because they have a lot of work to do this offseason.
Here are a few quick thoughts about this offseason’s priorities for the Nationals' front office.
Starting Pitching
I think that improving the starting pitching once again is and should be the number one priority for the team. While the team has a lot of good young talent, the team should look for a seasoned vet to help.
There are some interesting choices in this year’s free agent market, and no, I am not even suggesting Mr. DeGrom. Will the Nationals even be active in the free-agent market? Rizzo said he would like to add two starters for the 2023 season. So we will see. More on a free agency is below…
Ownership
Most likely, the most important issue/priority on the Nationals docket is that it needs to be resolved. There isn't much more to be added to this story so we will move on to other on-the-field issues.
Filling some holes on the team
More and more, the team will need to start filling holes even with players who aren't superstars. As much as we all were hoping that even might be a possibility (including myself), that isn't going to happen. Recently, Nationals manager Dave Martinez said that he would give more and more chances for the younger players to develop. "In order to compete, we need some pieces. But we're going to give opportunities to our young players, and what I saw from our younger players, they're not afraid, and they're going to go out and compete."
Related Article: Quick Notes: The entire Washington Nationals coaching staff will return next season
TalkNats, have an interesting perspective: “Replace bad players with even league-average players, and you improve. Add positive WAR players and you improve even more. It is just simple logic here.”
Get Healthy
The number of players that ended up on the IL for the Washington Nationals this season was incredible. Up and down the roster from the Majors to the Minor Leagues, this team was not healthy all season long, and that is a huge issue that needs to be addressed. Does the front office need to look closely at the pre-game and post-game conditioning? With the younger talent needing to get as much experience as possible, these players need to be on the field every day, or the starting pitchers need to pitch in their regular spots. Having healthy players being the key to success should be something other than rocket science.
Washington Nationals Farm System
Over the past two years, the Washington Nationals farm system has greatly improved due to some hard-to-stomach trades, but there is still a lot of work to be done to make up for the depletion of talent in the Nationals system. Prospects include James Wood, Elijah Green, Brady House, Cristhian Vaquero, Armando Cruz, Jeremy De La Rosa, Jarlin Susana, T.J. White, Jake Alu, Jackson Rutledge, and so many more.
Darren Baker has also been shining in the minor leagues so much that he could push for the bigs in 2023. While most of these players won't arrive until 2024-2025, over the offseason, the Nationals should be looking at available players to sign minor league deals. You may find a diamond in the rough. Either way, the Farm System has to be and should continue to be a major priority this offseason.
