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<\/a>Photo Credit: Amanda Bowen<\/p>\nIt feels like a lifetime ago where we saw the Nationals win the World Series. Juan Soto was just 20 years old and Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg sold their arms for that title. It was weird baseball poetry being able to win the title immediately after Bryce Harper bolted for the city of Philadelphia. Since then though, the path for the Nationals has been murky.<\/p>\n
Strasburg retired and then the team began to sell off players for assets. Scherzer and short stop Trea Turner were traded in a package deal to the Dodgers. Then there was the goal of aiming to keep Juan Soto around. The Nationals offered Soto 15 years, $440 million, which he respectfully declined and eventually nearly doubled when he signed with the Mets. The goal was to build around Soto, but instead moved him for assets that shaped their core. Coming into the fold was Mackenzie Gore, James Wood, and CJ Abrams. Sure the return was nice, but it didn\u2019t pay any dividends.<\/p>\n
The Nationals have been stuck in mediocre purgatory with no clear path in sight. Since winning the World Series, they have yet to have a winning season and haven\u2019t won above 71 games. It\u2019s not a great outlook to have and with Toboni in the fold, it\u2019s crystal clear that the path is a hard rebuild and he\u2019s done a good enough job to start and give the fans something to look forward to.<\/p>\n One part of the Soto return is out the door. As good as Gore was for the Nationals, he doesn\u2019t fit their timeline with two years of control and the Nationals nowhere near contention. Toboni got a solid prospect haul from the Texas Rangers to stock cupboards in full. Sadly, it wasn\u2019t Sebastian Walcott in this deal, but the Nationals landed 3B Gavin Fien, SS Devin Fitz-Gerald, RHP Alejandro Rosario, 1B Abimelec Ortiz and and OF Yeremy Cabrera. Fien was selected this past draft by the Rangers and per Jeff Passan, evaluators love short stop Fitzgerald<\/a>. He has good bat to ball skills and isn\u2019t regarded as a slugger, but a good contact hitter that uses the entire field.<\/p>\n There is not a lot of upside at the third base position for the Nationals going into 2026. Granted Fien won\u2019t be ready until 2029, but it helps establish the building block for the position moving forward. Not to mention, the franchises top prospect is Eli Willits (15th per MLB pipeline)<\/a> makes for a really athletic left side of the infield. Prior to this move, Toboni identified pieces from other organizations where either blocked or falling further down the depth chart. Even before Gore was gone, the Nationals need pitching. <\/p>\n In a rare prospect for prospect swap, the Nationals landed Luis Perales from the Red Sox in exchange for Jake Bennett. Bennett is ideal for the Red Sox and the type of player they covet. Big, strikeout machine, good command. Whereas Perales was falling further down the charts and his walk rates were alarmingly concerning. Given the upside with Connelly Early, Payton Tolle, even Kyson Witherspoon it\u2019s hard to paint a picture of where Perales could fit in. Much like Richard Fitts and Hunter Dobbins going to the Cardinals, it gives the chance for Perales to pitch and see the mound.<\/p>\nAlex Bregman has a new number and bigger mission with the Cubs<\/a><\/p>\nNationals add former Red Sox lefty Zach Penrod on minor league contract <\/a><\/p>\n