Catching up with Nationals beat reporter Andrew Golden ahead of the season
I got the chance to talk to Andrew Golden, the top Nationals beat reporter at the Washington Post. He was a great interview, giving me some insights on the upcoming season, as well as some of his personal backstory.
Q: What have you thought of the Nationals offseason so far and do you see any potential new additions coming?
A: Their offseason has been interesting. They have made some signings that they think will improve their power. Obviously they brought in Josh Bell and traded for Nathaniel Lowe. They believe that they have upgraded the power on the roster and have more options. Home run power is something the Nationals have lacked for a while.
In the starting rotation they have a lot of young guys, but have also made some solid signings. Mike Soroka showed a lot of potential when he went to the bullpen last year. It will be interesting to see if he can translate that to starting. I do like the signing of Soroka.
In terms of additional signings, Mike Rizzo told me the other day that the team will continue to monitor what’s on the market. When we spoke last week, he said that the team was wary to sign any players with qualifying offers. So I don’t expect them to bring in any of those guys. They still could potentially bring guys in, especially on Minor League deals.
Q: What were you expecting from this offseason, and did you think the team would do more?
A: I personally expected them to do a little bit more, especially with Corbin’s contract coming off the books. I thought there was more area to spend, but it depends on the organization, and if they thought the free agents were worth it. There were some red flags with some of the free agents in terms of when they were entering free agency and age. There was potential for drop offs. Obviously you have to take that into account.
I do think there were a lot of free agents out there that would have made sense. You can never have enough high quality starting pitching. I expected them to spend a bit more but there were some limitations out there.
Q: Can you give a little background about yourself and how you got into this position and how you fell in love with baseball?
A: I started covering the team in 2022. Before I was on the sports breaking news team at the post. I have always loved baseball. I never covered it in college, but I played it growing up and it was my best sport. When they called and asked me to cover baseball, I said yes, I would never pass up an opportunity to cover baseball. It has been a joy. I have always had a passion for sports writing and being around sports. This was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.
Q: Did you grow up in the area?
A: I grew up in Baltimore County in a small town. My grandparents are native Washingtonians and my mom grew up in Upper Marlboro. I am very familiar with the area, and it is awesome to be back.
Q: Are there any players you are looking forward to seeing in Spring Training, particularly among the young guys?
A: There are a handful of guys I am looking forward to seeing. Obviously, I am looking forward to seeing the big names like James [Wood] and Dylan [Crews] and how they look. I am fascinated to see how the young guys in camp do. There are a handful of newer guys like Daylen Lile and Andrew Pinckney. I want to see how they fit in at camp. Robert Hassell is another guy in that mold.
There are a lot of young guys in the starting rotation. The back of the rotation is an interesting storyline. It seems like Mackenzie Gore, Jake Irvin and Mike Soroka would be the three guys who have nailed on spots, but after that it will be interesting to see how it shakes out. How do guys like DJ Herz, Mitchell Parker and Ogasawara look? How will Trevor Williams fit in there? There are definitely some fun storylines. There are a lot of things to be excited about heading into camp. For a lot of the young guys, it will be their second camp. After getting a taste last year, how will they look a second time around?
Q: What have been some of your highlights on the beat?
A: Seeing the debuts of James and Dylan was pretty cool because it was the culmination of something that had been coming for a long time. To see that happen was really cool. The little league world series game was a great experience. Those are the ones that come to mind. Seeing the Juan Soto trade unfold during my first year on the beat was surreal. It was my first year and I was trying to get a feel for everything. It was unique seeing that all play out. I love those unique experiences like debuts you only get to see once.
Q: Do you have any bold predictions for the season this year?
A: Give me a second to think… My bold prediction is that James Wood hits 35 home runs. Another one is that DJ Herz leads the Nats in wins. I think DJ will have a big year. It is a little bit out there, and wins aren’t exclusively a pitchers stat, but I will go with that as well.