This time of year there are always a few young players in the league getting contract extensions. Teams are trying to buy out a few free agent years at what they think will be cheaper while giving players long-term security. Bobby Witt Jr., Jackson Merrill, Kristian Campbell and Keibert Ruiz are all young players who have signed lucrative extensions right before a season in recent years.
From that list you can see that this is a high risk, high reward approach. If you sign the right player, you can get these guys at huge bargains for most of their primes. However, extending the wrong guy could be an anchor for the franchise. Not only financially, but also from an opportunity cost perspective.
Paul Toboni comes from a Red Sox organization that has added several young players in recent years. Garrett Crochet, Roman Anthony, Kristian Campbell, Ceddanne Rafaela, Garrett Whitlock and Brayan Bello have all signed overtimes in Boston, most of which occurred before those guys went to arbitration. Could Toboni repeat this process with the Nats, and if he does, who should he bring in?
In my opinion, Daylen Lile is the best and most obvious extension candidate on the roster. Unlike some of the Nats’ other young players, he isn’t represented by Scott Boras, so that makes the conversations easier. He’s not projected to take advantage of free agency until 2032, which also means an extension won’t be that expensive. As players accumulate more service time, the price of their renewal goes up.
Lile showed phenomenal hitting in his first taste of MLB action in 2025. He hit .299 with an .845 OPS. The fast outfielder too composed an insane 11 triples in just 91 games. His speed and gap-to-gap power make him a constant threat for triples. He also hit a ton in the minor leagues, so this isn’t a fluke.
I also think Lile has room to grow, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Right now, he’s not a good defensive outfielder. However, I think he has the athleticism to be at least an average cornerback defender. His readings need to be tightened up, but he makes it a point to improve that. Lile’s results could also improve when it comes to stealing bases. Despite 92nd percentile sprint speed, he was inefficient as a base stealer.
Lile’s combination of current production and upside makes him the man Toboni should approach. He is already a good player, but he has clear areas for improvement. Lile also has the athletic ability to improve in those areas, allowing for development.
Honestly, the Nats should try to offer him an eight-year, $65 million contract that also comes with a few team options attached to it. It’s a little more than the $50 million Keibert Ruiz got in eight years, but Lile has produced more than Ruiz ever did.
However, he isn’t the only guy the Nats need to approach. Dylan Crews and James Wood are Bora clients, which complicates things, but it’s still worth asking. That’s especially true in the case of Wood, who has shown superstar upside when he’s at his best.
Considering how Wood has performed at his best and his agent, this extension will be pricey. If Scott Boras was even willing to listen, he would probably use the Julio Rodriguez contract as a point of comparison. That’s a $209 million deal with a 12-year term, but there are incentives that could push the deal up to $470 million. Boras would want more guaranteed money, but there wouldn’t be as much incentive-based money.
A Wood expansion isn’t very likely, but you never know. He’s a local boy whose family has many roots in DC. However, I don’t see that happening unless the Nats absolutely blow him away. Given the spending they’ve been doing lately, it’s hard for me to imagine that.
One player I definitely don’t see the Nats expanding on is CJ Abrams. Despite not being a Boras customer, it really seems like the expansion window with Abrams has closed. He’s much more likely to be traded than extended in the next year, at least in my opinion.
It’s not just my opinion though. Those around the game see an Abrams trade as a matter of when, not if. There was an Athletic article about potential trade candidates for Spring Training, and Abrams was at the top of the list.
I don’t think Abrams will be traded before the season, but a deadline deal seems like a real possibility. The part about Abrams was actually quite interesting. They talked about how the Giants rumors had legs, even if the move didn’t happen. It was also stated that the Nats’ goal right now is to create the best farm system in baseball, and that they will do whatever it takes to achieve that goal.
Abrams has only three years of team control left and is on the trade block. Combine that with some maturity questions, I don’t see an extension coming. If it does happen, I’d be pleasantly surprised, as I still think Abrams could be a long-term piece for this group.
Now I’m going to ask you the question. Who would you like to extend and are there any guys you would stay away from? An extension this spring would also be a good PR move by the Nats. With all the loss comes apathy. There is also a feeling that there is no ownership anymore. An extension wouldn’t address all of these concerns, but it would be a positive step. For me, I would be on the phone with Daylen Lile’s agent non-stop.
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