Nats' roster search will continue beyond start of spring training

It’s finally February, and you know what that means: Baseball is on the horizon.

Nationals pitchers and catchers report to the team’s facility in West Palm Beach in a mere 10 days, officially kicking off the 2025 campaign.

“But Bobby, the Nats still have holes on their roster. They’re not ready!”

Yes, looking at the roster as currently constructed, general manager Mike Rizzo would probably want to enter the season with a few more pieces. But fear not: Opening Day is still about two months away, and the roster on the first day of camp is never the same roster that is introduced on the first day of the season.

The Nats have the next week plus a couple of days before pitchers and catchers hold their first workouts on the back fields at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches. The first full squad workout is almost a week after that.

And even after the workouts and Grapefruit League games start, additions to the roster can and will be made.

Take just last year for example. Jesse Winker was signed to a minor league deal the day before camp opened. Not only did he make the Opening Day roster, but he was an impact bat in the Nats lineup and netted the club a top pitching prospect at the trade deadline.

Then Jacob Barnes and Derek Law were added to the bullpen on minor league deals during camp. Both made it onto the major league roster and posted positive Wins Above Replacements while making 60-plus relief appearances apiece.

And to be fair, sure, not all spring training signings work out. Zach Davies, Matt Barnes and Eddie Rosario were all minor league signings during camp last year who either didn’t make the team or were released during the first half of the regular season.

But the point remains that just because spring training starts in the coming days and the Nats roster doesn’t seem to be set, doesn’t mean there aren’t still players to be added in the coming weeks.

Who’s still out there waiting to be signed?

Looking around the diamond, the Nats likely still need an everyday third baseman, or at least a veteran to compete for the job with young guys like Trey Lipscomb and Brady House.

The big free agent name at the hot corner is still Alex Bregman. The 31-year-old reportedly has six-year offers on the table from multiple teams, and at his age and price tag, it’s unlikely the Nats are one of them.

Lower-cost options include 30-year-old Yoán Moncada, 35-year-old Jace Peterson and 28-year-old Luis Urías.

The Nats have plenty of outfielders, but if they want to add more depth, Mark Canha, Alex Verdugo, Tommy Pham, Harrison Bader and Randal Grichuk are available. Heck, old friend Michael A. Taylor is still unsigned as a 34-year-old coming with 2.4 WAR over the last two seasons.

There is suddenly plenty of rotation depth heading into camp, but Rizzo always says you can’t have enough starting pitching. Jack Flaherty, Kyle Gibson, Nick Pivetta and Andrew Heaney are among the top starters still available.

And finally, the bullpen may be where the Nats have the biggest question marks. Who will be the closer this year? Do they need another lefty? David Roberston, Kenley Jansen, Danny Coulombe and old friend Dylan Floro are still looking for homes.

Yes, there are other big names still out there like Pete Alonso, Anthony Rizzo, Paul DeJong and J.D. Martinez. But they probably don’t fit into the Nats’ current needs or plans for the future.

Mike Rizzo could also try to spin a trade in the coming weeks. But even though he has the minor league assets, he won’t feel the need to depart with any of them unless the perfect deal comes around.

All of this is to say, yes, it’s exciting spring training is so close you can almost taste it. And yes, it’s fair for fans to have some questions and concerns about the roster on Feb. 2. But just because pitchers and catchers reporting ends the offseason, that doesn’t mean it ends the Nats’ search for roster additions.