The Raschcast

We talked about the season that was. Now we discuss the season that will (may?) be. We talk about what the Nats' roster needs, how it might be able to fill those needs, and once again ask about what the Lerners will pay to fill those needs.

The 2026 season is now over. How do we feel about it? Was it a waste of a historically good offensive first half, or was it a wildly successful stepping stone to future contention? Maybe both.

A 6 game losing streak means we've reached the end of the interesting portion of the Nats season. We talk about the Trade Deadline and what it says about the Nats' organizational philosophy and what it says about their evaluation of their talent and their window with Jesse Dougherty of NOTUS.

We analyze the Nats' first big trade deadline move and how it fits into their larger plans for 2026, 2027, and beyond. Also, more bullpen exasperation, plus some appreciation for the fact that it's July 26th and the Nats are playing meaningful baseball.

The Nats have been treading water for a month now, leaving them exactly where they've been -- around .500 and on the fringes of contention. Where does that leave them as the trade deadline approaches? In a fascinating position.

On June 14th, the Nationals were two games over .500. On July 1st, they're still two games over .500. How they got there was anything but boring. We talk bullpen woes, big production from Luis Garcia, and whether we have any clarity on trade deadline plans.

The Nationals took one in the chin on Wednesday. They lost badly Friday. Then, they bounced back. They're two games over and a game out of a playoff spot. It's fun! And James Wood is very, very good.

The Nats went 6-3 against three of baseball's elite teams. They're over .500. They've got a positive run differential. We got a little ahead of ourselves and imagined the possibility of meaningful baseball in DC this year.

We're a third of the way through the season, and the Nats have scored the most runs in baseball, allowed the most runs in baseball, and somehow find themselves at the waypoint of mediocrity that is .500. We talk about the promising start, the promising developments in the farm system, and what it all means going forward.

The Nats finish April 15-17 after a 4-2 road trip. They've scored the second-most runs in baseball. They're playing interesting baseball! That's good. Plus, we laugh at the Mets, who are playing some pretty terrible baseball