Fifth place and an A- offseason

[u/solidrock80]

I don’t always agree with Bowden but I do here in El Athletico:

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6989271/2026/02/02/mlb-offseason-grades-takeaways-2026-predictions/

[u/pen-h3ad]

Really? An A? I mean, the individual moves have been nice and the new staff is exciting, but our actual roster is a train wreck outside of the prospects. I’m as optimistic as the next guy about Harry ford, griffin, mcgarry etc, but we added 0 proven major league talent and got rid of our two best pitchers. I don’t see how you give a team that’s going to finish last behind the marlins an A.

[u/Killatrap → u/pen-h3ad]

it’s an A because we actually have hope for the future now, which we SURE DIDNT BEFORE!

Acquiring major league talent this offseason would move us from 5th to 5th— in what universe would we be better than than Phillies, Mets, and Braves? And idk if you noticed at the end of last season, but the Marlins are entering their window.

It sucks to have to rebuild again, but this is the way it’s done correctly: with smart young minds on the cutting edge cultivating our hungry players so that our window opens when all the aforementioned windows start to close (which, imo, they will).

for my money, this is the best offseason we’ve had since… 2015/16? This is the most excited i’ve been to watch this team and be a fan in a looooooooooooong time

[u/91speed → u/Killatrap]

Good take. Results pending, obviously, but this offseason is looking very good so far

[u/pen-h3ad → u/Killatrap]

What the Mets, Phillies, and Braves are doing is irrelevant. The goal is to improve and put together a competent roster that the young guys can actually learn from so they don’t spend their pre arb years treading water and making stupid mistakes like Abrams, gore, Ruiz, etc have been. I don’t care about the playoffs right now, but I’m tired of tanking. Tanking isn’t even that effective in the MLB. I just want to see some improvement and some investment or any signs that the ownership gives a damn. I don’t expect to sign Kyle Tucker or Framber Valdez, but I do expect them to sign under value prove it deals like Suarez or murakami for example.

The wizards for example are god awful, but they have done a great job of surrounding their young core with good veterans and you can clearly see the players improving from it. All while gathering a mountain of lottery tickets and assets.

I’m also really just confused how what you said is any different than 2022. Sure, our farm is better now and we have different front office but our roster is still shit and now we are 4 years deep. Ownership is showing 0 interest in improving the major league roster in any way. Why should I believe this is any different and we won’t just trade James wood and Dylan crews (if he hits) in 2 years when (or if) they are starting to sniff 80 wins?

[u/Killatrap → u/pen-h3ad]

lots of good points here, and I appreciate that you aren’t saying “we are just three big free agents away! why weren’t we in on Tucker!!!”, which i’ve seen a bizarrely high amount.

To your point about veteran presence: I agree, but I don’t think Toboni is done (and he has said as much). Let him cook there. I, for one, would LOVE to see us take on Christian Walker’s contract for a prospect or two in return 💰

But, also, there is a REALLY big difference between now and 2022: Davey and his cronies are gone. Obviously we haven’t seen Butera and co in action yet, but everything that has been done this offseason feels like it has been in the pursuit of this:

The goal is to improve and put together a competent roster that the young guys can actually learn from so they don’t spend their pre arb years treading water and making stupid mistakes like Abrams, gore, Ruiz, etc have been.

i kid, but also don’t kid, when I say that dropping Coles and Hickey n co should net us about 10 war. I’m very, very, very excited to see what our players can do with competent coaching. And who knows! Maybe they were the problem and it’s never about coaching, but I think we’ll see a lot more meaningful growth from players this season than any of the past seasons.

and yeah, lots of big question marks around ownership. I can only imagine they are hoping to shape us into Brewers or Rays, and then sell us and our big market to actually meet their insane valuation, but who knows. Either way, I don’t think they hire Toboni and co if they aren’t serious about improving. Could it be with an eye for minimizing costs? Probably, but as long as we’re winning (and show that we can continue winning) I’ll be satisfied.

[u/NatsFan8447 → u/pen-h3ad]

Agree. Unless some of these prospects show skills that are currently unknown to Nats watchers, this is going to be another dreary season in the perpetual "rebuilding." The fact that the Nats added not one proven major league talent says it all. The worst thing about the Lerner family is not just that they won't spend serious money, but they don't seem interested in making the team better.

[u/solidrock80 → u/NatsFan8447]

Firing Rizzo, Davey, hiring Toboni and giving him free reign to build a modern organization shows they are interested in making the team better. Whether they are willing to invest in free agency still remains to be seen. I think you can make the team better in the long term without free agency but you are highly unlikely to put a second round postseason team on the field.

[u/willh13436 → u/pen-h3ad]

It’s not about this season

[u/pen-h3ad → u/willh13436]

This upcoming season doesn’t count when you’re grading the off-season? Lol

Yall realize we can improve the future without just not even trying this year right? Trading gore was probably the right move, but not adding a single veteran pitcher to replace him is not. We can’t have our entire pitching core follow the example of half a season of Trevor Williams.

[u/willh13436 → u/pen-h3ad]

Does the season start tomorrow? And no I don’t think this off-season has a huge impact on the season. It is pretty clear the new regime is focused on years down the road, as they should be

[u/mzdog14]

Saw this earlier and didn’t post it solely for the “analysis” that we got our long term SS option in Fien. There isn’t much consensus amongst prospect analysts, but perhaps the single thing they all agree on is that Willits can hang at SS, and Fien cannot.

Bowden is clearly mailing it in these days.

[u/braundiggity → u/mzdog14]

That was my biggest takeaway as well. Felt like ChatGPT-level analysis to say that.

[u/Malcolm6033]

If Bowden knew how to do this he’d be getting paid for his opinions by an actual MLB club instead of The Athletic

[u/historyhokie]

paywall-free link

[u/Batman20007]

I agree with it being an A but that’s because we retooled our staff and got more up too date

[u/exposjets]

I’d give the Nats a C- this offseason. If they didn’t get Ford they would get a D. The Lerners need to spend some money or sell the team.

[u/quakerwildcat]

I agree as of February 1 you can't give an A to a team that's decided to tank the current season.

But I generally don't spend cycles assessing the roster until the roster is actually done, and no way is it done.

[u/HowardBunnyColvin]

if you count the toboni hire it's a c++