At the beginning of a six-game West Coast road trip, the Nationals sit at 31-32 after a series sweep against the Marlins.
Given the ups and downs of the season, now felt like a good point to open the mailbag! Thank you all for the questions over X, and hopefully I can do another one of these.
“You can extend one player not named James Wood, who are you picking?” — @dylancrewscigar
This is a great question. I would extend Cade Cavalli. The right-hander has really turned it on lately, posting a 3.41 ERA and 1.14 WHIP in May. Cavalli’s four-seamerhas been as explosive as ever, and he’s pairing it with improving breaking balls so that teams can’t sit on his fastball. When he’s competing in the zone, he’s shown flashes of a very good major league starter.
Given the costs to sign starting pitchers in free agency, it would be prudent for the club to sign Cavalli to an extension before he hits free agency.
Cavalli has already shown glimpses of brilliance this season and is only 27 with just 117 2/3 innings under his belt. He still has room for growth as he approaches his prime and continues to learn more about himself as a pitcher and his arsenal.
“Extending CJ Abrams would go a long way for fans to believe the Lerners are willing to spend again. Are there any indications or hints behind scenes about an extension for him or should I prepare to say goodbye to my favorite player (again)?” — @_mattschoen_
“If the Nats keep up competitive baseball throughout the season, what does it mean for the future of CJ Abrams?” — @AintThatJake
Understandably, until there’s a resolution by way of trade or contract extension, CJ Abrams’ future is going to be a hot topic. He has two years left of club control and is the last player that president of baseball operations Paul Toboni can deal to bring back a significant prospect haul. My colleague Andrew Golden reported that the team approached Abrams about a long-term contract extension in 2024, but discussions didn’t go far.
Teams also called Toboni about Abrams in the offseason and he rebuffed any interest, according to league sources.
Abrams is having one of the best seasons among MLB shortstops. He’s slashing .288/.381/.522 and has a league-best .903 OPS for the position.
Abrams is, by all accounts, a good teammate and no one questions his bat. He’s one of the best pure hitters on the team and has delivered in key spots so far this season. The questions are about his defense. He has the athleticism to remain at shortstop, but league sources have questioned whether he will remain at the position long-term or if he needs a move to the outfield or second base.
Since 2024, Abrams has a -29 fielding run value, the lowest among qualified shortstops. It’ll be interesting to monitor if Abrams improves defensively over the course of the season. The new regime has increased the team’s pregame work and meetings, and Abrams has been diligent in the weight room. Manager Blake Butera has lauded him and James Wood for their leadership.
For a team entering the ground floor of a rebuild, extracting valuable prospect capital could help in future seasons.
I think if the team continues to be competitive, it’ll mean that they hold on to Abrams.
“How does Paul Toboni handle the trade deadline if the Nats are in Wild Card contention at the end of July? — @jmert14
It’s safe to say that Toboni is keeping the long-term view in mind. Cutting corners and accelerating the rebuild doesn’t seem to be his style, particularly after taking over a franchise that hasn’t made the playoffs since 2019. Toboni wants to build a sustainable winner in Washington.
If a deal is made, it’ll be a minor deal to add depth to the starting rotation. Looking at the timeline of the minor leaguers Toboni acquired with a series of trades this offseason — and many of them are impressing — it’s unlikely that he would sacrifice significant prospect capital to go all-in for a wild-card spot.
“Good or bad, what’s been most surprising about the Nationals so far this season?” — @MrEd315
This is a question that I’ve been asked often since joining the beat. The easy answer is the offense’s potency. The Nationals lead the majors in runs scored (331) — one more than the star-studded Dodgers — with an estimated opening day payroll of $93.8 million, according to Cot’s Baseball Contracts.
It’s a testament to the talents of Wood and Abrams that the offense has not only been explosive, but also consistent. Getting contributions from Curtis Mead and Daylen Lile has only lengthened the lineup. Even after a subpar series against the Marlins, the unit has built enough confidence from its stellar play the previous month.
“The way we swung the bats up to this point this year has been really good,” Butera said after Wednesday’s loss. “The Marlins pitched the ball really well against us. We didn’t hit as well as we have all year. I think this was just a tough series for us offensively. I don’t look at it like anything to be concerned about.”
“Why is Drew Millas still on the team? What’s the hold up with Morales at Rochester?” — @TheCurlyWDude
“What’s the timeline looking like for YoYo Morales and Seaver King for a potential call up?” —@WashSportsGang
Catcher Drew Millas is one of the best framers in baseball, ranking in the 79th percentile in that statistic. He’s not producing much at the plate, but the team values his work with the pitching staff and his ability to steal strikes.
I lumped the two questions about third base prospect Yohandy Morales together since, understandably, there’s intrigue in the team’s minor league system. Morales has probably been one of the team’s breakout performers at Triple-A Rochester.
The 24-year-old has an impressive 1.002 OPS, but he still hits too many balls on the ground and chases far too often to instill faith that those parts of his game will improve in the majors. There are also defensive questions surrounding Morales, and the Nationals seem pretty comfortable with their current lineup configuration at the corner infield spots.
For shortstop prospect Seaver King, his season has been a complete revelation. He’s showing better control of the strike zone and posting a .976 OPS between Double-A and Triple-A. Defensively, the team is emphasizing his get-off and reaction time so that he can get to more balls. Being more efficient in his footwork will allow his athleticism to show.
It’s also important to note that the organization is being deliberate in its handling of young players — like sending former No. 2 pick Dylan Crews to the minors out of spring training. King is having tremendous Triple-A success, but it’s important to remember that the gap between that level and the majors has never been wider.
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