Alright, baseball fans, the offseason is officially behind us, and the Washington Nationals have made some interesting moves. With a mix of quiet signings, a surprise trade and some frustrating decisions, the Nats are giving us plenty to talk about (and maybe even a little reason to cringe). So let’s dive in—stats, signings, trades, and all. Do I hear a World Series? No? Well, what did I just hear? Well can you turn the TV down, I gotta tell these people my thoughts on the 2025 Nationals season. Let’s go!

The Numbers Don’t Lie (But They Might Raise Eyebrows)

Let’s start with the numbers. The stats, my friends. If we’re being honest, the Nationals’ numbers last season were about as fun as a 12-6 curveball with no movement. The offense was underwhelming—I mean, 25th in the league in runs scored—and the pitching was, well, a season of experimenting with young guys and waiting for an albatross to finally be removed from our neck

Here are a couple of bright spots, though. James Wood threw up a solid rookie OPS+ of 122 (for anyone wondering, any OPS+ above 100 is an above average score) with sparks of power being showcased. Another big debut from our first round draft pick, Dylan Crews, gave us a preview of, not only some offense, but also some stellar defense in the outfield. With more talent still to come, there is more than enough reason to have some optimism.

Free Agent Signings: A Quiet Winter (But Not Without Hope)

Now, the fun part—who did the Nationals bring in to shake things up? Spoiler alert: No one that’ll make you jump out of your seat. We’re talking about safe signings, depth signings, and signings that you would expect in the weeks before spring training by a contender…yet I like a lot of them and here’s why.

The Nats signed a few solid veterans to add depth—nothing flashy, no blockbuster names, but a few players who can maybe give them a little boost (or at least help them hit above .230). While there were no big splash free agent signings, I believe the addition of a player like Josh Bell will be instrumental in the development of our young infield…or, at the very least, reduce the number of curfew violations (looking at you, CJ). The re-signing of Williams and addition of Soroka to the rotation helps add a bit of leadership to back up the hopeful future ace Gore and Gray when he returns. I expected more from the Lerners and Rizzo, maybe a short-term Flaherty deal, but 1 year of Soroka and 2 years of Williams—both movable to the bullpen when needed—could be surprisingly solid additions…I look forward to you all rubbing this in my face should I be wrong.

One more sign of healing is the bullpen finally being shown more love than the waiver and rule 5 pick ups of the past. While we didn’t sign any superstar arms, Rizzo made some solid additions to the ‘pen with signings of such players as roller coaster ride Jorge Lopez, veteran lefty (and Garcia upgrade-more on him later) Colin Poche, and the first Japanese signing in franchise history, and the guy whose name is going to be a nightmare to cover this year, Shinnosuke Ogasawara.

Trades: Did Rizzo Finesse A Former Champ?

Alright, let’s talk trades. The Nationals made one…and honestly this was kind of a Mike Rizzo special. What I mean by that is we had a glaring hole in the infield, namely first base, and we needed a solid answer to show that this team wants to start building and, as much as I will defend Lipscombe (I don’t know, I just believe in the kid), he is not the future of that corner of the diamond. Sure, Bell plays first, but he was signed to be a DH and platoon at first. So what did the Rizz do?

Enter Nathaniel Lowe, a World Series winning first baseman with both a Silver Slugger and Gold Glove to his name. In a shocking move for, not only Nationals and Rangers fans, but the entire baseball community, a trade has brought a very solid defensive piece for the position in exchange for lefty reliever Robert Garcia, a waiver pick up from the Miami Marlins with a career 4.03 ERA (Earned Run Average). I remember seeing the news that we acquired Lowe and thinking “Oh no, what did we have to give up” which quickly turned into “THAT’S IT!?” Don’t get me wrong, I liked Robert Garcia, and he fills an important role in a Texas bullpen that needed a solid left-handed reliever, but it sure seems like Rizzo just finessed another team out of some great talent, ala the Soto trade to San Diego.

Looking Forward to 2025: Is The Rebuild Ending?

So, what’s in store for 2025? If the Nationals can get their offense clicking and their pitching staff to find their rhythm and consistency, they might actually surprise some people. That is a BIG maybe, however. Without signing any true impact pieces, the Washington front office has made it clear that they see those impact pieces coming from their own farm. We have young talent up the middle with Garcia Jr. and Abrams, the newest stars donning the curly W in Wood and Crews, and promising arms in Herz and Irvin. And lest we forget we have more to come in the near and not-so-near future in House, Hassell III, Cavalli, Sykora, and Susana to name a few.

So, how do I see 2025 going for my beloved Nats? I think this will be a season with some growing pains. A season where the young guys will be given their true shot at a full season and the front office sees where everyone falls in the grand scheme of things. This feeling is enforced with the signings of mostly bench players in Rosario and, most recently, Paul DeJong. Along with the addition Josh Bell, Soroka and Williams, a vision begins to take shape. They want a home-built, young team, and the veterans that have been signed, Bell in particular, have reputations for being a positive dugout presence and leaders. It becomes clear that these signings are an investment in the teams future. That being said, this is a new era in Nats baseball, and I look forward to seeing how this plays out in this juggernaut of a division.

“Hey, Will, what’s YOUR prediction for the 2025 season?” I hear no one asking. We fall short of our coveted .500 record by 1 game and end the season with an 80-82 record, but the boys ball out and we all have fun. There. Ya happy? Now you have your ammo for September.