We’re just about a week away from the beginning of MLB’s free agency. As far as we can tell, there might not be a lot of movement. The collective bargaining agreement expires at the beginning of December and a work stoppage is expected. At that point, transactions would freeze.
Let’s take a look at the market anyway. Teams will be allowed to sign players in November, and there’s reason to believe the Nationals will at least entertain being among those to do so. General manager Mike Rizzo tends to be active early in the offseason. He said at the end of the 2021 season that the Nationals are going to “go business as usual until something tells us that we can’t.”
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A reminder of an important rule: If the Nationals sign a free agent who received a qualifying offer, they would forfeit their second-highest pick to the player’s previous team and have their international signing bonus pool reduced by $500,000. Those are not small things for a team trying to infuse its farm system with talent. It seems unlikely the Nationals would go down the route of signing a player in this area.
These five players could become free agents the day after the conclusion of the World Series and could sign contracts with new teams five days later. We’re going to look at their 2021 seasons and consider why they would fit the Nationals.
Note: Players are listed with their ages on Opening Day 2022.
INF/OF Kris Bryant
Age: 30
2021 stats: 144 G, .265/.353/.481, 32 2B, 2 3B, 25 HR, 73 RBI
If the Nationals have decided Carter Kieboom isn’t the long-term solution at third base, they might as well take this opportunity to lock up Bryant there for a few years while they wait on the next best internal option (like Brady House, should their 2021 top draft pick move off shortstop in the late stages of his development). Third base was once Bryant’s best position, per Outs Above Average, but he has bounced around so much that his performance at the corner infield spot has dropped off. He could benefit from extended time at third base.
And the Nationals could benefit from Bryant’s flexibility. He has played everywhere, including strong stints in left field. Should they need to give Bryant a breather without taking his bat out of the order, they could move him to left field and not handicap the outfield defense. He could also be a fallback option in left field if Lane Thomas or Yadiel Hernandez struggles to hit consistently.
Bryant, who was with the Cubs during Dave Martinez’s tenure in Chicago, earned $19.5 million in 2021. To get him, the Nationals might have to pay him the kind of money they paid Jayson Werth and Bryce Harper.
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RHP Anthony DeSclafani
Age: 31
2021 stats: 13-7, 31 GS, 167 2/3 IP, 3.17 ERA, 152 K, 42 BB, 1.091 WHIP
DeSclafani would be a low-cost option who showed his horrid 2020 was an aberration. He dropped his walk rate to 6 percent from 10 percent, increased his strikeout rate to 22.5 percent and posted his lowest home-run-to-fly-ball rate (11 percent) since 2015. Continued tinkering with the help of Nationals pitching coach Jim Hickey, who in his first year often was commended for his ability to find mechanical tweaks that touched off improvements, could keep DeSclafani on track.
The Nationals hope Stephen Strasburg will rebound from two straight seasons compromised by injury, but they can’t be sure he’ll bounce back to his pre-2020 levels. DeSclafani would be solid insurance. He made at least 20 starts in the last five full MLB seasons. And he made 31 starts in three of those years.
3B Eduardo Escobar
Age: 33
2021 stats: 146 G, .268/.342/.458, 26 2B, 5 3B, 28 HR, 90 RBI
Perhaps the more natural fit to supplant Kieboom is Escobar, an aging veteran who seemed to be getting better until his poor 2020. Escobar bounced back from that season, though, and ended up playing down the stretch for the division champion Brewers in 2021. That team probably won’t need him in 2022. The Nationals, however, could.
Escobar is as versatile as Bryant and has similar pop in his bat. But he is a switch hitter who struggles from the left side, so he could be had at a lower rate than Bryant. (Escobar’s last contract was for three years and $21 million.)
RHP Raisel Iglesias
Age: 32
2021 stats: 7-5, 34 SV, 65 G, 70 IP, 2.57 ERA, 103 K, 12 BB, 0.929 WHIP
Iglesias just assembled one of the finest seasons of his career. He probably won’t be easy to lure in free agency. But if his market is slow to develop, the Nationals should go after him. He would shore up the back end of their atrocious bullpen. And if the team is out of contention, he’d be easy to trade. They found a taker for Brad Hand, after all.
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LHP Robbie Ray
Age: 30
2021 stats: 13-7, 32 GS, 193 1/3 IP, 2.84 ERA, 248 K, 68 BB, 1.045 WHIP
Ray made good on his pillow deal with the Blue Jays, leading the American League in ERA, innings, games started and WHIP and the major leagues in strikeouts. If Toronto is unable to keep him, he is likely to garner a ton of attention, particularly from teams with a legitimate chance to compete for the playoffs. If the Nationals can sway him, they’d probably have a hefty price to pay. Ray made $8 million in 2021. But he would be a worthwhile multiyear investment for a team that fielded one of the worst pitching staffs in baseball.
Ray might not be a sure-fire Cy Young Award contender every year, but he has been consistent throughout his career. He threw 634 1/3 innings from 2016 to 2019 and posted a 4.04 ERA in 117 starts. During that time, he held opponents to a .229 average and struck out 31 percent of batters. One of the dings on his resume was a high walk rate. He corrected that this year, walking only 7 percent of batters.
Other free agents to watch
RHP Eduardo Rodríguez, 28 — Before he mocked Carlos Correa’s time-keeping antics in the ALCS and was yelled at by his manager, Rodríguez posted a 4.74 ERA with a career-high 27.4 percent strikeout rate over 157 2/3 innings in the regular season. He showed signs of being able to pitch at pre-2020 levels, but there is room for improvement. Opponents batted an unusually high .275 against him. That might be something Hickey could help him refine. Rodríguez earned $8.3 million in 2021. He should be able to fit in the budget of a team like the Nationals, who probably aren’t going to break the bank for a couple of extra starters but might consider adding one at a slightly higher cost than the $5 million they guaranteed Jon Lester for last season.
SS Corey Seager, 27 — The Nationals were unwilling to commit to paying Trea Turner big money and traded him. It’s hard to imagine they’d be willing to make a similar investment in Seager, even if he’s a year younger than Turner. His value might take a hit because of injury concerns, but he still figures to earn above $15 million a year on whatever contract he signs.
RHP Marcus Stroman, 30 — Stroman would be a smart fit on a staff seeking quality and a high volume of innings. He ended the season with a 3.02 ERA in 179 innings over 33 starts. He struck out 158 while issuing 44 walks. His 1.145 WHIP was the second lowest of his career (he produced a 0.963 WHIP in four starts in 2015). It wouldn’t hurt for the Nationals to bring in someone youngster Josiah Gray admires, either. But Stroman’s price tag might be too high. He accepted a one-year, $18.9 million qualifying offer last year.
LHP Carlos Rodón, 29 — Here’s someone who did a ton last season to establish fair market value, even with the arm fatigue he experienced. Rodón might not even test the market; the White Sox very well could extend him a qualifying offer ($18.4 million) that would more than double his MLB career earnings. But if he does become a free agent, Rodón should be near the top of the Nationals’ wish list. He would be a risky sign because he has thrown 120 innings or more only twice since his 165-inning season in 2016. But even a repeat of his 132 2/3 innings would be a massive improvement for the Nationals.
(Photo of Kris Bryant: Denis Poroy / Getty Images)
Maria Torres is a staff editor for The Athletic. She joined The Athletic in 2021 to cover the Washington Nationals and then prospects, and previously worked for The Los Angeles Times covering the Los Angeles Angels and for The Kansas City Star covering the Kansas City Royals. Maria attended the University of Georgia and is from Puerto Rico. Follow Maria on Twitter @maria_torres3
