Where Washington Nationals Roster Stands at Start of Offseason

Weeks after the Washington Nationals wrapped up their 2026 regular season, the attention across all of baseball has now shifted toward the offseason after the Milwaukee Brewers took home their first World Series in franchise history on Wednesday night.

Yet that means the MLB calendar also turns to the next phase of the offseason with players one expiring contracts set to become free agents at 9 AM ET.

For the Nationals, that may not apply given the team enters the offseason with no free agents on the roster. While the club and player option deadline is also set for next week, the Nationals currently have no decisions to make.

Instead, Washington has just two guaranteed contracts with Keibert Ruiz's deal running through 2030, while Cade Cavalli is weeks removed from inking a new four year deal with a club option in 2031.

What does serve as a notable question for the offseason to sort through is the reveal arbitration-eligible players the Nationals will look to sort through.

Infielder CJ Abrams, right handed pitcher Jake Bird, right handed pitcher Josiah Gray, right handed pitcher Jake Irvin, left handed pitcher Richard Lovelady, left handed pitcher Mitchell Parker, left handed pitcher Ken Waldichuk and centerfielder Jacob Young serve as the unresolved contracts. How many of the eight eligible players the Nationals are able to resolve ahead of arbitration remains to be seen with Abrams, Young and Gray among the most prominent names. Abrams is fresh off becoming a two-time All Star selection, in addition to the first National to start in the Mid-Summer Classic since Bryce Harper in 2018, to set the stage for the front office to resolve his status quickly. Whether Abrams finds himself subject to trade speculation for the second straight offseason may be the storyline to watch ahead of 2027.

Still, the lack of in-house roster decisions that Paul Toboni and the front office will make this offseason doesn't overlook to need to drastically improve the roster's pitching staff, which is comfortably the top priority for the Nationals ahead of year two under new leadership. 

Full List of Arbitration-Eligible Players, per MLB Trade Rumors (player - service time - money)

Josiah Gray - 5.075 - $1.6M

CJ Abrams - 4.130 - $10.2M

Richard Lovelady - 4.052 - $1.7M

Jake Bird - 3.169 - $1.3M

Jake Irvin - 3.152 - $3.4M

Ken Waldichuk - 3.150 - $1M

Jacob Young - 3.037 - $2.3M

Mitchell Parker - 2.167 - $1.1M