The Nationals have only one player on a guaranteed contract past the 2026 season: a catcher Keibert Ruizwho signed an eight-year, $50MM extension before the 2023 campaign. Therefore, president of baseball operations Paul Toboni should have plenty of financial flexibility in 2027 and beyond. After all, his team’s current payroll is less than half of what it was during Washington’s World Series-winning 2019 season. As The Athletic’s Spencer Nusbaum recently acknowledged, some of that savings has been earmarked to improve the club’s scouting and player development. Still, it would be surprising if Toboni didn’t just consider extending talented young players to the Nationals.
If there’s anyone the Nationals and their fans would like to lock up long term, it’s an outfielder. James Wood. However, the All-Star slugger isn’t the only roster extension candidate. The 23-year-old left-handed hitter isn’t even the only corner outfield option on the roster. And while this second baseman may not be a Wood-level star, he would certainly be an easy (and inexpensive) option for Washington to extend: Daylen Lee.
Nusbaum wrote about Lile earlier this week. Sadly, he admitted that “the Nationals have yet to talk to Lile about an extension offer.” At that time, Lile’s thoughts on the matter remained “whatever happens, happens.” However, Nusbaum also reported that the Beverly Hills Sports Council, Lile’s agency, “is always open to engaging with teams in extended discussions.” Two of their notable clients include Jackson Chourio again Kristian Campbellboth of whom signed similar early career extensions. It’s worth noting that Lile already has more MLB service than either Chourio or Campbell had when they signed their deals, and he was nowhere close to being in the same position as a prospect. In other words, Chourio and Campbell are far from perfect comps. Still, it matters that Lile’s representatives are open to negotiating this type of contract, especially since Wood’s agency, the Boras Corporation, has a reputation for resisting pre-arbitration extensions. (Also, the deal is Boras’s fellow client Cooper Pratt which was recently signed is proof that it is not a hard and fast law).
Lile debuted last May and earned a regular role in the starting lineup by mid-June, looking comfortable as his first year progressed. His .956 OPS in the second half ranked second among professional NL hitters, behind only the MVP Shohei Ohtani. His 1.212 OPS in September bested even Ohtani’s, and his 1.83 Win Probability Added for the month was the highest in Major League Baseball. Overall, Lile finished his first MLB campaign with an .845 OPS and a 132 wRC+. He hit nine home runs, 15 doubles, and an incredible 11 triples in just 91 games. His strikeout rate and strikeout rate both put him in the top 20% of hitters in the league. Only three players have taken as many trips to the plate as Lile and posted both a high contact rate and high singles power: José Ramírez, Cody Bellingeragain Isaac Paredes. At the end of the season, 11 of 30 BBWAA voters named Lile on their NL Rookie of the Year ballots. He finished fifth.
The sample was small, 351 PA, and Lile’s success was largely limited to the one hottest month in that small sample. He also dragged his overall numbers down with shockingly poor defensive metrics (-14 DRS, -8 OAA, -10 FRV) and a disappointing run for a player with his speed (8-for-14 on steal attempts). Still, he showed real promise, giving himself a solid foundation to build on in his first full MLB season. Nusbaum notes that scouts within the Nationals organization “believe in the bat.”
So, even though Lile has gotten off to a slow start in 2026 — his swing decisions have gotten worse, and his groundball rate has increased — it’s not hard to see why an extension might appeal to Washington’s front office. Lile showed his high ceiling in 2025, but remains far from a sure thing. If the Nationals really believe in his bat, now could be their chance to protect him beyond his mediation years before his price increases.
