When the Washington Nationals hoisted the World Series trophy in 2019, it felt like the start of something big. They had a star—Juan Soto, who was just 20 years old and smashing like a veteran. The core was strong, and butterflies of hope were fluttering—most felt that something better was just around the corner.
But then the baseball world is anything but predictable. And hence came the unraveling!
In 2022, the Nationals made one of the most talked-about trades in recent memory. Something that left most in question marks? They shipped off Soto to the San Diego Padres in what they called a ‘reboot.’ And in return, they got a handful of other prospects, like CJ Abrams and MacKenzie Gore. And now, years later, the sting of the trade still lingers. They have become a team that hasn’t even sniffed a contention yet. And fans had a big question: why, in just a few years, have situations become so grim?
Well, the finger-pointing seems to have begun, and well, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal is not sugarcoating anything. Rosenthal said, “Ownership’s lack of investment is partly to blame. The Nationals opened with a top-10 payroll seven out of eight seasons between 2014 and 2021, but in the past three years have averaged in the bottom 10…. A perhaps even bigger problem is the team’s failures in player development, as well as amateur and international scouting… Good teams both spend and develop. The Nationals do neither.” And he is not wrong.
Ignorance is not bliss, and for the Washington Nationals, they need introspection- maybe a deep one. See, Gore might be the strikeout leader, and Abrams may be having a great year, but there is a ticking clock. Gore is represented by Scott Boras, and this means that extensions won’t be cheap, if at all; he is interested. Abrams’ representatives seem to be in talks about an extension, but nothing is etched in stone. And they are already two and three years into their service time. Another bleeding point is that Washington’s farm system is far from stellar.
James Wood is the crown jewel for the Washington Nationals, but beyond him, there are not a ton of players to get excited about. Since 2013, only three homegrown players have reached a career bWAR of 5.0, and none of them did it in a Nationals uniform. As far as the international scouting goes, after Soto, that pipeline too has dried clean. Despite having spent big on signings, they still haven’t found another gem.
Sure, there have been changes behind the scenes, like new development heads, new scouts, and more. But honestly, the results don’t show. For now, though, the ghost of Juan Soto’s trade sure seems to be looming. For now, whispers of another player coming back are making the rounds.
Brad Lord’s big return to the Washington Nationals rotation?
Destiny really comes knocking down some people’s doors, like how it did for Brad Lord. One day, he was just another guy working in the aisles at Home Depot, and then a few months later, he was standing on a major league mound in Washington, toe-to-toe with the Dodgers and Phillies. Quite wild, right? But he wasn’t even supposed to be there so early.
After tearing it up in the minors last year, Lord looked like a solid candidate for a 2025 debut for sure. Maybe, though, just…later in the year. But injuries to DJ Herz and Zach Brzycky really cracked open a door for him, and Lord, fresh off a strong spring, walked through it. At first, he came out of the bullpen, but after just three outings, Michael Soroka hit the injured list, and the Nationals needed a starter, so Lord made the next fit.
However, once Soroka got healthy again, Lord was shuffled back to the bullpen yet again. But here is what is interesting: his pitch count has dropped fast. One day he is throwing 93 pitches in the start and then barely 30 in relief. This is not ideal if you might want to stretch him out again. But the reality is they probably will. The Nationals’ starting depth is thin with Josiah Gray and Herz still in rehab, so they might not have a choice.
Plus, one can’t ignore Trevor Williams. He is sitting with a 6.39 ERA, and sure, he was on a hot streak last season, but now he is like lightning stuck in a bottle. So if things go this way, Lord could be in line for the spot. Whether for injury woes or underperformance, it seems like Brad Lord’s return is right around the corner.
Do you think he will make a return? Let us know in the comments.
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