The Nationals optioned outfielder Robert Hassell III and infielder Jose Tena to Triple-A after today’s game, per a club announcement. The corresponding moves for those transactions have not yet been formally announced, but Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports that the club plans to select the contract of top infield prospect Brady House and recall outfielder Daylen Lile.
House, 22, was drafted 11th overall by the Nats in 2021 and was a consensus top-100 prospect in the sport as recently as last season. The third baseman enjoyed a breakout season in 2023, when he rocketed from Single-A to Double-A over the course of a single campaign and slashed .312/.365/.497 with 12 homers and nine steals in just 88 games. That 20/20 potential combined with solid defense at the hot corner was enough to send House soaring up to prospect boards in spite of his low walk rate and 23.9% strikeout rate, but a disappointing 2024 campaign was enough to quell the excitement regarding the infielder’s future. In a return to Double-A last year, he hit a somewhat middling .234/.310/.423 in 75 games before being promoted to Triple-A.
House’s first taste of the highest level of the minors knocked him for a loop with a .250/.280/.375 line in 54 games, but he returned to the level better equipped in 2025. This year, he’s looked excellent at the plate for Triple-A Rochester with a .301/.349/.516 (126 wRC+) line in 64 games with 14 doubles, 13 homers, and a triple in that time. That’s exciting power from a strong defender at third base, though that high batting average should not be expected to transfer over to the majors. House has long been criticized by scouts for his hit tool, and he’s benefited from a .376 BABIP so far with Rochester that’s unlikely to be sustainable. Between that high BABIP and a 27.0% strikeout rate, House could struggle to get on base with regularity in the majors but figures to make up for that with above-average pop and an impressive glove.
House’s promotion to the majors completes the Nationals’ infield after the club opted to leave the position to part-time options like Amed Rosario, Paul DeJong, and Tena throughout the first few months of the season as they awaited House’s eventual promotion. DeJong appeared in just 16 games before being sidelined by injury, but Tena and Rosario have formed a roughly league average platoon at the hot corner to this point in the year. Tena is headed to Triple-A for the time being but has been a very pleasant surprise for the Nationals since he was acquired from Cleveland last year. He’s hit a nearly league average .261/.312/.364 across 84 games in a Nationals uniform, and his positional versatility and left-handed bat should make him a valuable bench piece and depth starter for the team going forward.
Joining Tena in packing his bags for Rochester is Hassell, a former top-100 prospect who made his MLB debut just last month. Hassell has hit a paltry .230/.240/.284 (44 wRC+) in 20 games with the Nationals since being called up to the majors, and his departure should allow Jacob Young and his top-of-the-scale defense in center field to reclaim a larger role on the team going forward. Young will be backed up in the outfield by Lile, who went 6-for-31 at the plate with three doubles, two walks, and a triple when he made his big league debut in an 11-game cup of coffee earlier this year. The left-handed Lile figures to serve as a complement to the righty-swinging Young in center field, at least until Dylan Crews returns from the injured list.
Everyone says the Nationals are going to take Holiday first overall in the upcoming draft. But House has a lot of talent. They have waited 4 years on him and he’s earned the promotion to the big leagues. Do they really want to draft another 3b? I don’t think so. I think the Nationals need pitching.
You should always draft the best talent available, no matter the position, especially in baseball where it can take as much as half a decade to actually see some guys make the majors. The roster will be different when upcoming draftees make the majors.
If they have two studs at the same position, one can be moved to another spot, or he can be traded for the aforementioned pitching.
No you should not ignore team needs. The Reds did that with Nick Senzel and ruined his career. And there is no reality evidence Holiday is the best talent available. Plus of you can save money and use it for more talent later that makes sense too.
Pretty much no teams drafts based soley off need. They take who is typically the best guy they view is avaiable, unless it’s an underslot, and even in those cases, it’s not typically just to fill a need. The guy the Nats are calling up right now, House, was drafted as a shortstop.
Holiday is also a shortstop but will most likely move to third base.
They always knew House was going to move to 3b just lile Holiday.
As stayed already there is no definitive number 1 pick this year. If there was then fine but there isn’t so might as well take someone who fits an actual need.
They should still take who they view is the best player in the draft. The only time they don’t is if they go underslot. But even then, they go for the best player for only a lesser amount.
He is a teenager so you can’t know he is the best talent available. Would he be a possible first pick if he had a different last name?
But the best talent available by whose definition? Drafting is not a factual process. The difference between pick #1 and pick #14 can be very subtle, if there is any difference at all. If you have a big need for a pitcher and you have 2 position players (at positions you are relatively strong at) rated slightly above him on your board, you would be a fool not to take your highest rated pitcher because he likely won’t still be there when you select again in the next round. Is it better to select a player you have to change or pick the one you need as is? You don’t know how that change will affect said player. Some work out just fine, but others don’t.
You are absolutely right. They have one dominant starting pitcher in gore and only sykora looks very promising. They are short of offense but they do have wood and abrams with call quietly being very productive. If house is capable of an ops of .800, that will help quite a bit. They should draft Kade Anderson but will probably draft Ethan holliday even though he is a high school player and will probably end up at third base. This team makes so many bad moves. Extending ruiz is one of them. Drafting Elijah green is another. Who knows? Maybe Mike rizzo will do the right thing in about a month. I am surprised josh bell is still around. They should designate for assignment their designated hitter and ring the bell on his time in Washington.
Sykora is going to be a stud. But they don’t have much else. Gore is only under contract for a little while longer. Anderson or Arnold make a lot of sense.
Gore 2 more years
Since there is no Skenes or Strasburg in this draft (clear number one). They might select whoever is willing to take the lowest offer, so they can buy out some high school prospect in the ensuing rounds.
Dark knight I agree. I think we could see a lot of college pitching at the top knowing HS shortstops will be plentiful. Holliday might be the exception though.
Definitely need relievers
The Nats do need pitching, and Holliday *isn’t* the far and away #1 pick this year IMO. Unlike last year, there isn’t one. An argument can legitimately be made for Doyle, Anderson and Arnold.
I can see not taking Holliday, because there have been some (IMO overrated) concerns about him striking out too much. What I *don’t* understand is that per Kiley McDaniel, if the Nats don’t take Holliday they’re apparently also high on high school RHP Seth Hernandez. Unless they think Hernandez is going to quickly move through the system like Strasburg did, taking him #1 would be absolutely baffling, and a further illustration ownership doesn’t want to spend money.
The Nats “window” *has* to start in 2026. If it doesn’t, you’re going to lose Gore as a free agent and it’ll be a signal to James Wood they intend to waste his time in DC. Sadly, I’m starting to get vibes this rebuild may end up looking like the last White Sox rebuild, which utterly failed.
I don’t know about taking Holliday. Doesn’t Washington have enough swing and miss guys between House and Green(especially). If he is the best player-take him, just be aware of what you may be getting. Somebody more in the know than me, perhaps, could explain if he would be getting 1-1 predictions if his last name wasnt Holliday.
The swing & miss concerns about Holiday I think are overrated because they came from the showcase circuit when, according to multiple reports I’ve read, pitchers were pretty clearly trying to pitch around him. Instead of taking the BB, Holiday was pressing in an effort to show off his skills at the plate.
IMO that’s fixable, especially because if the Nats do draft Ethan, IMO he won’t be under as much pressure to get to the big leagues quickly. The Nats have Abrams entrenched at SS and House, Chaparro, Tena and Cayden Wallace at 3B. Resigning DeJong to another 1-year deal would be a Rizzo-like move too.
Wallace isn’t having a good year at AA Harrisburg, but he’s still a prospect and Rizzo will give him every chance to make it. He gives a “long leash” to guys he thinks he “discovered” or stole in a trade, and that Hunter Harvey for Wallace trade was definitely a heist.
He is still a prospect but as you noted, he is having a terrible year in AA. Lomavita is doing well in High A, so far. My concern with Holliday needing “fixing” is Washington hasn’t shown a particular skill in doing that. Exhibit A being Elijah Green. You might be right, though. If he is the best player then take him.
Hernandez is going to move very quick for a high school pitcher. He’s older than most and he’s very advanced. He’s probably a year behind guys like Arnold and Anderson.
It can’t be ignored that Strasburg was not from high school.
1-They can always draft under-slot and use the money elsewhere.
2-This is why MLB is the only sport not to allow trading of draft picks.
3-I’m not convinced House is a player.
Speaking of the draft…the current lottery system is ridiculous. It clearly hasn’t prevented tanking as the Nationals and Pirates are still bad, like they have been for several years. Chicago had a historically bad season and couldn’t pick better than 10th. Colorado is amid a historically bad season and they can’t pick any better than 10th. Something is wrong with this system, in my opinion.
The current system punishes tanking, as it should. It incentivizes teams to spend more. The problem is, 2/3 of team ownerships run their franchises like traditional businesses. (To maximize net profit) Until that changes, we’ll see more of the same.
It punishes bad teams and makes it harder to rebuild. Some teams are just that bad. It has to be changed. It’s one thing to not be able to pick in say the top 3 multiple years in a row. But to be forced to move down to 10 is crushing. Not just in not getting a shot at the top 3 talent, but losing the $ available from falling from 3 to 10.
Best of luck to Brady House. He has a chance to be a part of a pretty talented young core.
This guy’s gonna be good. Some of the prospect rankings are down on him because of strikeout issues, but he can rake.
First year or so he struggled staying on the field. 2024 was his first year of play that resembled the grind of a full season. He needed that … and the grind continues in to this season. Should be ready.
Why am I more excited about Lile coming back up???
He looked like a pro…at least his swing did..and the way he handled himself…
I know he didn’t tear it up when he was in the show…some tough luck at bats but he definitely looked the part…
What I think they should do is get rid of bell, put Tena at second base and garcia jr. at d.h.
The Nats’ rebuild is gasping.
House being the solution at third is only one of the things they need to go right.
Crews is another.
And then they’re still pieces away, with all of two years of control left on Gore, who will be leaving for the highest bidder.
If Crews fails, so does this rebuild. Plain and simple.
Too early. 75 Ks in 260 ABs is 173/600 is probably north of 190 in the pros.