Nationals players who could soon be in line for Cade Cavalli-like extension

The recent news of the Nats extending breakout starter Cade Cavalli to a 4-year, $47 million extension is nothing but great news for Washington fans, and now many have their sights set on who the next extension candidate could be.

James Wood and CJ Abrams remain the far-and-away most deserving players, but getting either star to sign a long-term deal looks to be an uphill battle. Not saying that it won’t be completed, but it might be in the front office’s best interest to get creative with extending other players while waiting on a change of heart from their superstars.

LHP Andrew Alvarez (FA in 2032)

In terms of urgency, the Nationals don’t need much to get anything done with Alvarez any time soon. With that being said, what he’s done in 2026 to help stabilize the rotation has been nothing short of lifesaving.

It’s far from unheard of for teams to lock down consistent arms even with plenty of control left, and the upcoming CBA negotiations leave many discussions open as to how pre-arbitration players’ contracts will be handled moving forward.

If Washington believes that what Alvarez has shown this season isn’t a fluke, it might not be the worst idea to show a vote of confidence in the 27-year-old and buy out his arbitration years. A move like that would solidify his place in the 2027 starting rotation and beyond, as well as getting ahead of his market if he continues to perform as he has.

OF Daylen Lile (FA in 2032)

Lile looks like the definition of a player on the rise. His play this season has already been enough to pencil him down as a starting option for the future, and his ceiling could be that of an incredibly valuable everyday player. The defense has been his calling card, which is already enough to make him an asset in the outfield, but it’s been the development of his bat that has elevated him into extension conversations.

The home run power has really come along in 2026, mashing 21 long balls so far and teetering on the 90 RBI mark. Lile is a player that President of Baseball Operations Paul Toboni could evaluate similarly to Red Sox rising star center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela, who was extended during Toboni’s time in Boston for 8 years and $50 million.

If Lile can take another step forward with his offensive approach, there should be no reason that Washington shouldn’t keep him in town for the foreseeable future, and he’s already shown enough to be considered for an extension going into this offseason.

SS Eli Willits (#1 Prospect via MLB Pipeline)

Willits’ rise through the Nats’ system has been simply meteoric. At just 18 years old, he’s already looking like a player who could make an impact at the MLB level within the next 2 seasons, if it even takes that long for him to break into the bigs.

The organization might choose to keep him in the minors for a longer period of time to work out any kinks in his development, but he might simply break the door down and force their hand sooner rather than later. If his trajectory continues, he could be in line for a massive payday years down the line, and one that could price him out of the city.

The Seattle Mariners navigated their own version of this situation by giving top prospect Colt Emerson an 8‑year, $95 million extension. That deal could become the framework for a future deal for Willits, and would prevent the Nats from finding themselves behind the curve with another one of their young talents.

RHP Jarlin Susana (#3 Prospect via MLB Pipeline)

What was looking like it could be a massive season for the flamethrowing righty was severely damaged by an injury that limited his time on the mound. Still, Susana’s timeline as both a contributor at the MLB level and an extension candidate could be accelerated in the near future.

Extending prospects, sometimes even before they see a single MLB inning, has quickly become the new wave across analytics-based front offices. Depending on how Susana’s development (and health) looks throughout the offseason and into 2027 Spring Training, the organization may deem it advantageous to give him a long-term extension.

This is another area where Toboni has experience, being a part of the Red Sox brass when they completed deals with top prospects Roman Anthony (8-year, $130 million) and Kristian Campbell (8-year, $60 million).