by Andrew Lang
by Andrew Lang
Defying Expectations and Claiming the Crown
The Washington Nationals’ playoff run in 2025 was a cinematic masterpiece, a Cinderella story for the ages. Against all odds, they defied expectations, winning a series of thrilling games and ultimately claiming the World Series title.
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Back in 2021, TalkNats started an initiative to collect items from the RCR program and donate them to the Nationals Youth Baseball Academy, which supports young scholar athletes from Wards 7 and 8 in DC (Donate Your Unused Red Carpet Rewards Points to the Nationals Youth Academy). We repeated the effort the following year, with some modifications (The Kids Really Will Love It), and again in 2023 (Final Update to 2023 RCR Points Drive). Each year participation from the TalkNats community has grown.
You can see pictures of the swag delivered to the YBA from the previous RCR points drives in the links above. With continued thanks to everyone who has participated in the past, we’re happy to announce the RCR Points Drive for 2024.
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All MLB teams had to add back their 60-day IL players to their 40-man roster yesterday. For teams without open 40-man spaces, they had to make room on their rosters. The Washington Nationals made several moves yesterday that began with the Baltimore Orioles announcing they claimed pitcher Thaddeus Ward who the Nats had placed on waivers, and the O’s snatched him up. Also gone are Joey Meneses, Michael Rucker, and Ildemaro Vargas.
The players reinstated from the 60-day IL were: Joan Adon, Cade Cavalli, Josiah Gray, and Mason Thompson. Once Spring Training starts, players can be placed back on the 60-day IL like Gray who is recovering from UCL elbow surgery and will miss most or all of the 2025 season.
Most roster moves were expected — although some were not expected at this time. Technically, the Nationals did not need to clear 40-man spaces with the DFAs, but they did this housecleaning, sooner than later to open up four spots on the roster.
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First off, happy 26th birthday and feliz cumpleaños to Juan Soto — and good luck in the World Series. While the Washington Nationals did not trade Soto directly to the Bronx Bombers, they traded him to San Diego, and the Padres flipped him to New York. By extension, the Nats made it possible for Soto to land in Yankee Stadium.
By trading Soto, the Nats didn’t repeat the mistake they made in 2018 by wishing on a star that Bryce Harper would stay with the team that originally signed and developed him. All of Harper’s perfusive love for D.C. guaranteed nothing. Wishful thinking with the heart rarely works when you’re talking $100’s of millions.
When general manager Mike Rizzo made a reversal of courses and traded Juan Soto, a little over two years ago, Riz saw the future and made the absolute right move. Second guessing him is commonplace for all of the armchair quarterbacks in the cheap seats, although not one has given a detailed plan that made sense except the retort, “Pay the man.” Well, they tried, as the team offered a sum with Soto’s previous earnings that would have topped more money than Ted Lerner paid to buy the Washington Nationals in 2006.
Sure, Rizzo and the Lerner ownership group were viciously criticized for trading Soto — and some are still crowing about this. In my opinion, Rizzo was right then and now — Soto was traversing his road to free agency no matter what record-setting offer was made to him. Okay, he would probably take no deferrals on $750 million today — but the Yankees aren’t doing that. They might follow the same script that snagged Arson Aaron Judge away from San Francisco.
"Opening Day should be a National holiday"
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