Did the Washington Nationals make a mistake by not signing a first baseman?
The Nats decided not to address the first base position and it has been costly so far, especially on the defensive end
PHILADELPHIA, PA - MARCH 30: Washington Nationals second baseman Luis García Jr. #2 jogs it in during the game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Washington Nationals on March 30th, 2026 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, PA. (Photo by Terence Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Even after yesterday’s heartbreaking loss, the Nats have had a positive start to the season.
If you told me they would be 3-3 heading into the home opener before the season started, I would have taken it in a heartbeat. However, one offseason decision already looks like it is backfiring on Paul Toboni. That would be his choice to not address the first base position externally.
Instead of signing a stop gap first baseman like Mike Rizzo had done the last few years, Paul Toboni chose to try to solve the position internally. His plan was to convert Luis Garcia Jr. into a first baseman and platoon him with guys like Andres Chaparro and recent waiver pickup Curtis Mead.
The problem so far has been that none of these guys are natural first baseman and have really struggled defensively. We saw this yesterday, with Garcia Jr. really struggling with fairly routine picks.
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