By james art 
The Washington Nationals should explore every possible way to upgrade their lineup this offseason.
The team is in desperate need of a power forward to help launch the attack. They hit just 135 home runs last season, which trailed only the lowly Chicago White Sox, who had 133.
There are positives to the Nationals offense as they are loaded with athletic players and put pressure on opposing defenses with their speed and aggressiveness on the bases. But their production will be taken to another level with the addition of a true home run threat.
One player who could fit that bill is someone Washington knows well; Pete Alonso of the New York Mets.
They’ve been terrorized for years by the powerful first baseman, who has launched at least 34 home runs in every season of his 162-game MLB career. As a rookie, he hit a record 53 and has reached the 40 plateau two more times.
Not only would he fill their power void, but Alonso would slide right into the hole the team has at first base. Right now, they don’t have a viable starting option there.
It should come as no surprise, then, that ESPN’s David Schoenfield named Washington among his best fits this offseason.
“Meanwhile, the Nationals may be preparing to spend some money in free agency. Their first basemen hit just 14 home runs in 2024; only the Chicago White Sox hit fewer home runs overall. Stealing Alonso away from a division rival and putting him in a lineup with up-and-comers like James Wood and Dylan Crews would make a strong statement,” the MLB expert wrote.
Strengthening their team while weakening the Mets, who made an unexpected run to the NLCS and are preparing to spend this offseason, would be a huge win. That would throw a wrench into their free agency plans that they need to look for another option at first base.
There is some concern given that Alonso’s strikeout percentage has declined in three straight seasons, but even if he stays close to the level he performed at in 2024, he would be a huge upgrade for the Nationals.
It’s hard to imagine him leaving Queens, but anything can happen in free agency. Washington could present him with an incredibly lucrative offer that will make him question his loyalty to the only organization he’s known as a professional.
Along with the Nationals, Schoenfield also named the New York Yankees as great for Alonso. There will be other contenders, but the two teams of New York and Washington seem to have the upper hand.