5 blockbuster moves the Nationals must make this offseason ft. Extending CJ Abrams

The Washington Nationals once again didn't compete in 2024. They play in arguably the toughest division in baseball, but they did showcase a few pieces that they are likely to build around. To take the next step, here's what they need to do this offseason.

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What the Nationals must do now

5) Sign Yoan Moncada

Yoan Moncada is a free agent (Imagn)

A former top prospect, Yoan Moncada isn't a huge needle-mover at this stage. However, the Nationals should sign him to a one-year deal. They need third base depth, and Moncada has been good in the past.

If the Nationals can get him back to form, he's an excellent Trade Deadline candidate. If not, then he can be a short-term investment for a team that isn't expecting to compete anyway.

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4) Extend Nathaniel Lowe

The Nationals should extend Nate Lowe (Imagn)

The Washington Nationals aren't really a team that can afford to trade for a player and not keep them for the long run. Nathaniel Lowe was an offseason trade acquisition from the Texas Rangers.

Lowe has one more year of arbitration before hitting free agency, so it wouldn't be a true rental. Still, the Nationals likely brought him in because they believe he can be their first baseman for a while. He is 29, but that's still young enough to warrant a three or four-year extension.

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3) Sign Jeff Hoffman

Jeff Hoffman is a free agent (Imagn)

The Nats' bullpen is currently pretty thin. They have a surplus of starting pitching that might overflow into the pen, but that is still one area they need to address. Fortunately, there are still a lot of good relievers out there.

Jeff Hoffman had the second-most fWAR the last two years in this crop of FA relievers. He's not the most highly-touted one, so the competition and price won't be steep for Washington.

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2) Extend CJ Abrams

The Nationals need to extend CJ Abrams (Imagn)

Like Lowe, CJ Abrams has one more year of arbitration. However, he is much younger at 24 years old. Abrams has also had two inspiring years in the big leagues at such a young age. He has a combined 4.2 fWAR and added a 107 wRC+ last year.

He's poised for a breakout season and he's a pretty strong defender at shortstop. The Nationals have been looking for a building block since the 2019 World Series, and Abrams is it. He should be extended.

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1) Trade Josh Bell

Josh Bell is no longer needed (Imagn)

While Josh Bell's bat is still average (101 wRC+ in 2024), his overall value is not. He was worth -0.1 fWAR last year, and he's making $6 million. He's been traded a lot lately, once in each of the last three seasons. Washington should ship him out once more even if he's a fairly new arrival.

Bell can play first base, but he's likely to be supplanted by Lowe there. The Nationals could probably use him as a DH, but they need a DH who can hit better than league average, so Bell is an odd man out who should be traded to save a little bit of money.