We are nearing the midway point to Spring Training, and an end to the offseason. This team needs a leader!

Photo by Sol Tucker for TalkNats

Besides the Los Angeles Dodgers, has any team done enough this offseason to fully satisfy their fanbase? The Dodgers will try to be a 3-peat champion team in 2026, and you have to wonder if they throttle back on payroll after their $169 million CBT “luxury tax” penalty came due. There are still big name players left in free agency including Kyle Tucker, Alex Bregman, Bo Bichette, Tatsuya Imai, Framber Valdez, Cody Bellinger, and several others.

Maybe the shocker of the offseason so far was Munetaka Murakami going to the last place Chicago White Sox at $146 million below his contract projections — and $5.5 million under the projected AAV.

Baseball money is like Monopoly money. It is hard to compare to the real world unless you’re a minor leaguer who wasn’t a bonus baby. But our own Washington Nationals are now in the spotlight for all of the wrong reasons.  Every team in baseball has signed at least one free agent to a $20 million contract since the 2021 season — except for the Nats. The last $20 million deal by the Nats was before the 2020 season when they signed reliever Will Harris.

While money isn’t everything, and someone is always going to be the last one, it shouldn’t be the Nationals. Especially because this team is in need of a veteran leader on a multi-year contract. Maybe President of Baseball Operations, Paul Toboni, has tried to sign a top player. If he has tried, nothing has leaked to the media, and we have asked our sources. Crickets to this point. Even the Voice of the Franchise, Ryan Zimmerman spoke up about that need to a longer-term team leader.

Watch these two clips:

There aren’t many players you would tab as a team leader in the remaining free agent pool. In that video, Toboni named Bregman, who led his 2025 Boston Red Sox team that Toboni was a part of as a key member of the front office. Yesterday, our Sao Magnifico went back to suggest a signing of J.T. Realmuto, and even with Harry Ford at catcher, Realmuto could work with time at back-up catcher, first base, DH, and pinch-hitter — and team leader. Think about how well that worked for Wilson Ramos in his pairing with Ivan Rodriguez as Nats teammates in 2010 and 2011.

Could the addition of GM, Ani Kilambi, from the Philadelphia Phillies make an acquisition of Realmuto easier? The two had a relationship for years with the Phillies. That creates a nice bridge to sell the opportunity. Nobody thought 16 years ago that the Nats would be able to get Pudge, and the Nats pulled that off.

❝But to us, … I think the cleanest path to winning — and creating a sustainable winner is identifying, acquiring, and developing talent. Regardless of what our payroll situation is, you have to dominate [all] of that to be a contender in the playoffs.❞

— Toboni said when asked about spending on player payroll

Yes, sometimes you have to think outside of the box and get creative. With only 26 spots on the Opening Day roster, Toboni, Kilambi, and their staff really need to prioritize a “team leader” as Priority No. 1, with hi lev bullpen help as another glaring need, and another starting pitcher if they do intend to trade MacKenzie Gore. And if they do trade Gore, they should be looking to the San Francisco Giants as a trading partner, and target first baseman Bryce Eldridge as the headliner of a potential trade.

Much of the unsettling feeling and consternation within the fanbase falls squarely on the desk of principal owner Mark Lerner. He has to hear the words of Zimmerman, and comprehend the gravity of the situation. On his podcast, Zim spent several minutes talking about the need for a leader before Toboni arrived for his segment on the podcast, and then Zim said it straight to his face.

Zim thinks the #Nats need to sign a veteran team leader on a slightly longer deal of 2-to-4 years.

Sounds to me that a JT Realmuto would fit that perfectly as well as a position of need. pic.twitter.com/zy7WVBcKJk

— Talk Nats (@TalkNats) November 19, 2025

After the Foster Griffin signing, the projected CBT payroll today sits at $115 million. Some have calculated $121 million. I feel confident that our number is correct, and yes, that includes the final year of Stephen Strasburg‘s seven year deal at $35 million per season. Take that out, and the active payroll with benefits is at only $80 million. The highest paid active players are Trevor Williams and Luis Garcia Jr. (projected arb) at $7 million each. Last year’s Opening Day payroll was at $140 million. There should be plenty of money to spend to get the final two or three players acquired for this roster.

With about 45 days remaining in the offseason, we are just four days away from turning the calendar to 2026. There is time on the clock. Big names are still there on the free agent and possible trade lists. The roster needs that jolt, and the young core has to get their leader. This shouldn’t even be a discussion. Put this in the category of a must-have.

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