Only the Los Angeles Dodgers drew a better grade than the Washington Nationals as one outlet graded all 30 MLB teams 2026 offseasons.
With spring training officially here and Opening Day nearly one month away, the Washington Nationals will close what has largely been a quiet offseason for president of baseball operations Paul Toboni and the rest of the revamped front office.
Of course, the notable offseason move came back in January after the Nationals agreed to send MacKenzie Gore to Texas in exchange for five prospects, restocking a farm system steadily rebuilding in year one. Washington made former MLB pitcher Foster Griffin the team's first major league free agent signing while veteran Miles Mikolas becoming the latest, possibly the final, ahead of Opening Day to upgrade the rotation. The addition of Harry Ford in exchange for Jose Ferrer not only adds optimism behind the plate, but has led to Clayton Beeter flashing during the race to fill the closer role in 2026 after drawing praise from new manager Blake Butera earlier this week.
But overall, the lack of signature moves have yet to drastically alter the offseason outlook for Washington with the projected win total remaining steady between 66 and 69 wins in 2026. Still, one outlet was bullish on the Nationals' moves this offseason after analyzing offseasons for all 30 MLB teams.
CBS Sports dished out a 'B+' for the Nationals, joining the Miami Marlins and New York Mets as the only three teams within the NL East to earn the same grade. The Philadelphia Phillies graded as a 'B' and the Atlanta Braves a 'C', while the Los Angeles Dodgers were the only team to grade better than Washington to lead the National League with an 'A,' to the shock of no one.
"The Nats undertook a needed makeover in the front office and in the dugout, and that's what drives this grade," Dayn Perry of CBS Sports wrote. "New POBO Paul Toboni brings youth and the capacity to modernize, and that Nats sorely need modernization. Elsewhere, getting Harry Ford and his upside in the Jose A. Ferrer trade with Seattle was a nifty move, and they got good bulk in the MacKenzie Gore trade with Texas."
It paves the way for optimism for the direction of the organization under a young leadership team that has remained consistent about prioritizing development alongside upgraded technology and resources, evidenced by the purchase of at least Trajekt Arcs earlier this offseason after becoming one of only a handful of teams across the league to not have one. But how many wins does it turn into in 2026? That's the biggest question with pessimism around a turnaround in year one, instead a chance for several young pieces to showcase a season of development.
Still, Washington wasn't able to make everyone happy with their offseason moves after ESPN graded the Nationals' offseason as a 'C,' noting the lack of significant moves after a struggling 2025 season.
"It's probably the right approach to this offseason, and maybe CJ Abrams is eventually traded as well, but at some point the Nationals have to spend some money to win," they wrote.