The 66-96 Nats cleaned house during the 2025 season, moving on from longtime GM Mike Rizzo, and World Series winning manager Davey Martinez. Enter Paul Toboni, the 35-year-old hired as the new President of Baseball Ops in Washington, who has plenty of work to do on a roster that can’t seem to get jump-started for various reasons.

A Bright Spot
The Nats have a surplus of talented young outfielders in James Wood, Dylan Crews, Jacob Young, Robert Hassell, and Daylen Lile. There’s a strong mixture of power and defensive talent here, but it stands to reason that at least one of these pieces will be floated as trade bait this winter.

A Big Concern
C Keibert Ruiz is entering Year 4 of an 8 year, $50M extension - but continues to battle concussion symptoms that limited his 2025 campaign to just 68 games. He hasn’t been a productive player at the plate for the better part of two seasons now.

Related Links
2026 Nationals Financials
MLB Offseason Guides

Pending Free Agents

Josh Bell did Josh Bell things in 2025, posting 22 homers and a near .750 OPS across a tough year in Washington. The Nats could be seeking a more long-term option this winter.

PLAYER MARKET VALUE
Josh Bell (DH/1B, 33) $11M
Derek Law (RP, 35) Minimum
Paul DeJong (INF, 32) Minimum

Arbitration-Eligibility

Washington boasts a loaded list of arbitration-eligible players, keeping their young core relatively cost-controlled into 2026. The list includes ⅘ of their current starting rotation. All in, this group combines for $31.4M of projected tax salary.

PLAYER PROJ. ARB SALARY
Luis Garcia (2B, 26) $7.8M
MacKenzie Gore (SP, 27) $6.5M
CJ Abrams (SS, 25) $5.5M
Jake Irvin (SP, 29) $3.5M
Cade Cavalli (SP, 27) $1.975M
Riley Adams (C, 30) $1.9M
Josiah Gray (SP, 28) $1.35M
Mason Thompson (RP, 28) $1.25M

Guaranteed Salary

Washington boasts only $15M of guaranteed salary on their books heading toward the winter, a number Nats fans hope increases significantly before it’s all said and done. Ruiz’s health-concerns has the 5 years, $31.25M remaining on his deal in question.

PLAYER CBT SALARY
Trevor Williams (SP, 34) $7M
Keibert Ruiz (C, 27) $6.25M
Shinnosuke Ogasawara (RP, 28) $1.75M

Team Tax Projections

Despite moderate payroll allocated to their current active roster, Washington hits the offseason with a projected payroll surrounding $115M. This is due in large part to the $35M tax hit being taken on by Stephen Strasburg’s injury-driven retirement. Still, these numbers afford the Nats around $128M of tax space heading into November, with 42 players currently accounted for.

Spotrac's 2026 MLB Offseason Previews