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You felt the importance of Friday’s news conference at Nationals Park.
From the graphic that read “Cade Cavalli Extended” on televisions throughout the ballpark, to the one behind the table where Cavalli and president of baseball operations Paul Toboni sat to answer questions about his four-year, $47 million contract extension that read “Here To Stay,” with photos of an animated Cavalli as the backdrop. The Nationals wanted to remind you that they kept a pillar of the organization after the previous regime jettisoned stars.
Although the Nationals were ecstatic to extend Cavalli, his success is also a reminder that each season is sacred. The story of the 2026 Nationals revolves around the leaps the offense took, powered by a rigorous attention to detail, and Cavalli’s ascension.
But the story is incomplete without mentioning the bullpen’s failures. The group’s inability to protect leads is a significant reason the Nationals aren’t preparing to play past September.
“We got to get better down there. I think, if we had an average bullpen, we’re probably talking about who we’re playing after this weekend, right?” manager Blake Butera said. “So that’s just real. That’s something we need to get better at, of course. Whether it’s personnel, whether it’s roles, whatever it might be, we’re going to spend a lot of time on the bullpen this offseason.”
If the Nationals had converted half of their 42 blown saves, they’re probably angling for a wild-card spot. Improving the bullpen has to be the goal. But that’s where baseball is fickle. Success in one season doesn’t portend much carryover. Year-to-year production is hard to maintain. So, as the Nationals head into a pivotal offseason, they must avoid resting on what got them to this point.
“I think there are countless examples across the last 10 years of, like, really high-performing offenses, playing great one year and then, either because of health or just swings in how you’re playing, like, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s going to continue into next year,” Toboni said. “So we have to stay all over.”
Avoiding a plateau is paramount for the Nationals to continue growing. Toboni said it worries him that “people are kind of gonna rest on their laurels and not really continue to push.” Relentless work from players and coaches allowed the Nationals to surprise this season.
Before this year, the Nationals lost at least 90 games in five consecutive seasons. When Toboni and the new front office took over, improving the foundation of the organization — building a “scouting and player development monster,” as Toboni said at his introductory news conference — and improving on the margins were paramount. They emphasized pulling the ball in the air and saw significant velocity gains throughout their minor league levels.
The proof of their efforts lies in the results. Entering Friday, the Nationals had scored the third-most runs in the majors with the youngest lineup. It’s reasonable to expect growth from the position players, but banking on it is foolhardy.
But Washington has payroll flexibility, with Stephen Strasburg’s $35 million contract expiring after this season. They’ll have wiggle room to add players to supplement the core under contract.
“Generally speaking, future payroll flexibility is a really good thing,” Toboni said. “So I’m happy that we’re in this spot that we’re in. What I would say is that there are creative ways to actually use that payroll, right? So, whether it’s actually going out and signing free agents or extensions or whatever it might be, we want to, regardless of how we’re going to use the payroll, do it in a way that sets us up, hopefully, to be a much better team next year, but then be a really good team into the future.”
Toboni said the front office hasn’t discussed how much the organization will value ninth-inning experience this offseason, but he added, “I wouldn’t want to pigeonhole us into just going after guys that have ninth-inning experience.”
One of the arms available this winter is San Diego Padres left-hander Adrián Morejón, who has pitched in a setup role because of Mason Miller’s dominance. But Morejon is a superb reliever who could thrive in a closing role because of his impressive sinker that averages 99.5 mph and a changeup that generates a ton of whiff.
Atlanta’s Raisel Iglesias is another option. At 36, the righty has recorded 125 saves over the last three seasons. Entering Friday, his 39.3% chase rate ranked in the 99th percentile in the majors. He would bring a stabilizing force to the bullpen.
Iglesias and Morejon are different pitchers, but both are valuable.
“The obvious reason is because, if you just look at how we can upgrade our roster, you’re talking about replacing folks at the bottom of our bullpen who have maybe pitched around replacement level with players that have been really good, so you’re like assuming all those wins,” Toboni said.
But for the Nationals to make an even stronger push for October next season, it’s going to take reinforcements on the pitching staff while the hitting coaches and position players remain productive. As Cavalli said in his press conference: “Just the detail to development, to win, all that adds up and that’s been our main focus.”
Baseball is a results-based industry. No matter the explanation, wins and losses stick with players and organizations. For Toboni, the losses stick with him. He can still remember the ninth-inning collapse against the Philadelphia Phillies and the eight-run catastrophe against the San Francisco Giants. But, even in those low moments, the Nationals remain closer to playoff contention than they have since the 2019 World Series. Now they must maintain that momentum.
“I think there’s like this softer element to it where I do believe we’re closer just because I’ve gained a better sense of what these folks are about,” Toboni said. “Without having my blinders on for loving the players and the staff, I just trust that we can continue to push in a positive direction.
“We’re going to have our bumps along the way. But my hope is that, whether it’s a year from now, hopefully it is, or two, or whatever it is, that we’re going to continue to make positive momentum until it comes, and then hopefully we’re there to stay.”
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