Five Free Agent targets the Nationals should look at

It's been a quiet offseason for the Washington Nationals with starting pitcher Foster Griffin marking the biggest acquisition of the offseason, though catcher Harry Ford could end up factoring into the equation at some point in the 2026 season as he pushes Keibert Ruiz. While the Nationals continue to evaluate offers surrounding MacKenzie Gore, are there still available options to upgrade the 2026 roster? We take a look at five names.

The one big need in the Nationals' starting lineup is at first base. Luis Arraez would be able to come in, fill the hole at first base, and instantly be one of the most valuable bats on the Nationals for 2026, along with the near future.

He is one of the best contact hitters in all of baseball, being only three years removed from a season where he hit .354, and he received votes for NL MVP. He is somebody who doesn’t strike out at a high rate, having only 21 strikeouts in 675 plate appearances. He has a career on-base percentage of 0.363. He is only 29 years old, and his contact-heavy play style serves as one that can play until his mid-to-late 30s.

However, he is now coming off his worst year, batting average-wise, but that is one where he still saw an on-base percentage of 0.327. Having Arraez near the top of the lineup would help the Nationals' young guys like James Wood and Daylen Lile find more value to their swings. The two ended the 2025 season with slugging percentages of .475 and .498, respectively.

Arraez took on a one-year $14 million contract last year with the San Diego Padres, so with a similar contract, he would be projected to have the largest contract on the roster. 

Luis Urías is a guy who could give the new Nationals manager, 33-year-old Blake Butera, an easier job. He is somebody who can play multiple positions, can take starts for multiple different guys in the infield, and can play good offense and defense while doing so.

Urías could be a very good depth piece with a bit of higher upside, as he is somebody who will be 28-years-old on opening day and is a good defender at second and third base. Having somebody like Urías puts less pressure on Brady House as an immediate starter at only 22-years-old. 

Urías played in 94 games last season for the Athletics, where he had a batting average of .230 and an on-base percentage of .315. He has shown that he has potential as a hitter, being a couple of years removed from his best slugging season in Milwaukee, where he hit 23 home runs and a .445 slugging percentage.

Urías played last year for the Athletics on a one year, $1.1 million contract. He could be a low-cost, low-risk player who sees his name called a lot next season for the Nationals. 

Chris Bassitt is one of the oldest pitchers on the market at 37-years-old by opening day, but there is still value for him on the rebuilding Nationals. Adding more experience to the starting pitching room allows the Nationals to compete later into games while their younger pitchers can continue to develop in the minor leagues.

The Nationals' younger pitchers, besides Mackenzie Gore, really struggled last season. Jake Irvin and Mitchell Parker both had over a 5.60 ERA and combined to record 18-29 in their starts.

Getting Bassitt will allow the Nationals to play closer games, and more meaningful baseball could help with the development of the batters, along with the bullpen.

Bassitt finished last season with an ERA of 3.97 and was credited with 11 wins to 9 losses and averaged over five innings pitched per game last season. He is also somebody who can come in and offer guidance to the younger pitchers, all while setting up the Nationals for more competitive games.

Zack Littell is another guy who could come in and be a stable starter that allows the Nationals to stay in games past the 5th inning. Littell is coming off a season where he made 32 starts and was credited with a 10-8 record. 

He finished 2025 with a 3.81 ERA in his 32 starts with the Rays and Reds, and he typically pitches well into the fifth inning. 

Littell is 30 years old and could fit the Nationals timeline if they have any desire to turn him into a multi-year guy for the Nationals

Adding experienced pitchers can help take the Nationals away from the bottom of the league in team ERA and give the team a chance to be competitive in more games. 

Last season, the Nationals had the highest team bullpen ERA in the MLB with a 5.59 ERA. The second closest team was the Rockies with a 5.18 ERA, and no other team had a team bullpen ERA over five.

Nationals should be looking for some help in the bullpen, and Jalen Beeks could be a low-cost option who can be a prominent name in the bullpen for the Nationals. 

Jalen Beeks pitched in 63 games for the Arizona Diamondbacks last year, where he started two of them, finished 10 of them, and ended with a 3.77 ERA. In those appearances, he recorded five wins and three losses. 

The 32-year-old would give the Nationals a bit of flexibility in 2026, being able to fill in early if a starting pitcher needs a quick exit, or being able to finish games for the Nationals who don’t have a designated closer.

Beeks is coming off the best baseball of his career in his 2025 campaign with the Diamondbacks, being his most successful. 

Beeks played last season for the Diamondbacks on a one-year $1.25 million contract and would probably be expected to sign a contract worth a bit more after his 2025 campaign.