The Nationals entered the offseason knowing they needed to bolster their lineup, especially in the power department. They have made two prominent additions so far, trading for Rangers first baseman Nathaniel Lowe and bringing back old friend Josh Bell to serve as designated hitter in his second go-around with the club.

Will those two make a substantial difference to a lineup desperate for more production? If they duplicate their 2024 performances, yes, they should make a difference. Though improvement is still needed elsewhere in the lineup.

It’s worth noting how much (or how little) production the Nationals got from their first basemen and designated hitters last season. Their first basemen combined for a .686 OPS, which ranked 22nd among major league teams. Their collective 0.3 bWAR ranked 21st out of 30 teams. Meanwhile, their assortment of DHs combined for a woeful .615 OPS (28th in the majors) and 0.1 bWAR (25th).

Yeah, that’s bottom-of-the-barrel production out of two of the most important offensive positions in baseball.

Lowe and Bell may not be superstars, but they’re clearly better than what the Nats had in 2024.

Let’s dive into the first post-World Series mailbag while the offseason heats up.

You ask again, I answer again, and we have the latest sequel to the beloved 2008 original.

This is a politics-free mailbag. Let’s consider it practice for next week.

It’s also an editing-free mailbag. Let your clarity, length and style shine.

An important reminder here that my mailbag gets lots of candy on Halloween and your mailbag gets a toothbrush and dental floss.

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