The 2017 Washington Nationals season was the Nationals' 13th season as the baseball franchise of Major League Baseball in the District of Columbia, the 10th season at Nationals Park, and the 49th since the original team was started in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They won the National League East title for the fourth time in six years but were defeated by the Chicago Cubs in the NLDS. As of 2025, this represents the most recent NL East title for the Nationals.
Offseason
Team news The Washington Nationals announced in October 2016 that their entire coaching staff would return for the 2017 season, led by manager Dusty Baker.
The team lost several players to free agency after the 2016 season, including right-handed relief pitcher Matt Belisle, left-handed reliever Sean Burnett, infielder Stephen Drew, outfielder Chris Heisey, right-handed pitcher Mat Latos, closer Mark Melancon, catcher Wilson Ramos, and left-handed reliever Marc Rzepczynski. Additionally, the Nationals chose not to exercise their 2017 option on right-handed pitcher Yusmeiro Petit, who also became a free agent, and injured right-handed reliever Aaron Barrett declined an outright assignment to the minors and elected free agency as well. The team did not extend a qualifying offer to any of its free agents. Ramos was considered a likely candidate for a qualifying offer, but due to an injury late in the 2016 season expected to sideline him for part of the 2017 season, he did not receive one; he ultimately signed a two-year deal with the Tampa Bay Rays. Outfielder Ben Revere was eligible for arbitration, but after an injury-plagued and offensively dismal season, he was not tendered a new contract and became a free agent; he later signed a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim for less than he was due to earn through the arbitration process. The Nationals extended one-year contracts for the 2017 season to all of their other arbitration-eligible players: shortstop Danny Espinosa (who ended up being traded before arbitration to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim), right fielder Bryce Harper, catcher Jose Lobaton, third baseman Anthony Rendon, and right-handed pitcher Tanner Roark. Heisey and Drew both signed new one-year contracts with the Nationals as well.
At various times during the off-season, the Nationals were linked in trade talks to the Chicago White Sox for left-handed starting pitcher Chris Sale (ultimately traded to the Boston Red Sox) and right-handed reliever David Robertson, the Pittsburgh Pirates for center fielder Andrew McCutchen, the Tampa Bay Rays for left-handed reliever Álex Colomé, and the Minnesota Twins for second baseman Brian Dozier, among other players. The Nationals also reportedly made an attempt to re-sign Melancon, who instead signed with the San Francisco Giants, and to sign right-handed reliever Kenley Jansen, a free agent who ended up returning to the Los Angeles Dodgers. They also were reported to have interest in other free agents, including right-handed pitchers Tyson Ross (ultimately signed by the Texas Rangers), Greg Holland (ultimately signed by the Colorado Rockies), and Sergio Romo (ultimately signed by the Dodgers).
The Nationals made one major trade during the off-season, dealing top pitching prospects Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo López and 2016 first-round draft pick Dane Dunning to the White Sox for Adam Eaton, an outfielder with team control through the 2021 season. The Washington Post reported after the trade that the Nationals had become pessimistic after observing Giolito in 2016, including his first major league appearances, that the consensus top right-handed pitching prospect in baseball would end up developing as they had originally expected. In trading Espinosa, who was reportedly unhappy about Eaton's acquisition as it was expected to mean center fielder Trea Turner would become the 2017 starting shortstop, the Nationals acquired pitching prospects Austin L. Adams and Kyle McGowin from the Angels. Two other minor trades during the off-season sent lower-ranked prospects to the San Diego Padres and Tampa Bay Rays for catcher and former Nationals top prospect Derek Norris and left-handed relief pitcher Enny Romero, respectively. Norris was ultimately released during spring training after the Nationals signed catcher Matt Wieters out of free agency.
Transactions November 19, 2016: The Nationals signed outfielder Chris Heisey to a one-year major league deal. November 20, 2016: The Nationals signed right-handed pitcher Derek Eitel, infielder Corban Joseph, left-handed pitcher Braulio Lara, and infielder/outfielder Brandon Snyder to minor league deals with invitations to spring training. November 21, 2016: The Nationals signed right-handed pitcher Dustin Antolin to a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training. November 23, 2016: The Nationals acquired right-handed pitcher Jimmy Cordero from the Philadelphia Phillies for minor league pitcher Mario Sanchez. December 2, 2016: The Nationals acquired catcher Derek Norris from the San Diego Padres for minor league pitcher Pedro Avila. December 7, 2016: The Nationals acquired outfielder Adam Eaton from the Chicago White Sox for right-handed pitchers Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez and minor league pitcher Dane Dunning. December 10, 2016: The Nationals acquired right-handed pitcher Austin L. Adams and minor league pitcher Kyle McGowin from the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim for shortstop Danny Espinosa. December 13, 2016: The Nationals signed infielder Emmanuel Burriss, right-handed pitchers Mike Broadway and Jacob Turner, and left-handed pitcher Tim Collins to minor league deals with invitations to spring training. January 26, 2017: The Nationals signed infielder Stephen Drew to a one-year major league deal. January 27, 2017: The Nationals signed infielder Grant Green to a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training. January 28, 2017: The Nationals signed right-handed pitcher Vance Worley to a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training. January 31, 2017: The Nationals signed right-handed pitchers Matt Albers and Joe Nathan to minor league deals with invitations to spring training. February 3, 2017: The Nationals signed right-handed pitcher Jeremy Guthrie to a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training. February 7, 2017: The Nationals acquired left-handed pitcher Enny Romero from the Tampa Bay Rays for minor league pitcher Jeffrey Rosa. February 15, 2017: The Nationals signed first baseman Adam Lind to a one-year major league deal. February 24, 2017: The Nationals signed catcher Matt Wieters to a two-year major league deal. March 2, 2017: The Nationals signed right-handed pitcher Joe Blanton to a one-year major league deal; catcher Spencer Kieboom was designated for assignment and sent outright to the minor leagues to clear space on the roster. March 15, 2017: The Nationals released catcher Derek Norris from a major league deal. March 27, 2017: The Nationals released right-handed pitchers Matt Albers and Joe Nathan from minor league deals. March 29, 2017: The Nationals released right-handed pitcher Vance Worley from a minor league deal. March 30, 2017: The Nationals signed right-handed pitcher Matt Albers to a new minor league deal. March 31, 2017: The Nationals sent first baseman Clint Robinson outright to the minor leagues.
Spring training For 2017, the Nationals moved to a new spring training facility at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches, in West Palm Beach, Florida, which they share with the Houston Astros. Projected to cost US$135 million, the construction of the ballpark and training facilities actually cost US$150 million.Castillo, Jorge, "Nationals christen their new spring home with a walk-off win," washingtonpost.com, February 28, 2017, 5:49 p.m. EST. The new facility provided each team with two major-league-size practice fields, four-minor-league-size practice fields, an agility field, a half field, batting cages, and pitching mounds, and centered around a new baseball stadium with 6,400 ticketed seats and 1,250 berm seats. The move from their former spring training home, Space Coast Stadium in Viera, Florida, placed the Nationals far closer to other teams during spring training, facilitating travel for spring training games.Wagner, James, "Nationals, Astros break ground on new spring training facility", washingtonpost.com, November 9, 2015, 7:05 p.m. EST.
Construction of the new facility was rushed so that it could be completed in 16 months. Nationals pitchers and catchers officially reported for spring training at the new facility on February 14, followed by the rest of the players on February 17. Construction was not yet complete, but the Nationals were able to prioritize the parts of the facilities most important to spring training so that it met their needs by the reporting dates.
Washington began its schedule of spring training games on February 25 with three straight road games. With construction crews still putting the finishing touches on the stadium during the morning, the Nationals and Astros opened the Ballpark of the Palm Beaches with their first game there on February 28, with the Nationals playing as the home team at the shared facility. Commissioner of Baseball Rob Manfred cut a ceremonial ribbon, and a helicopter flyover took place during the opening ceremonies. Before a crowd of 5,897, Nationals non-roster invitee Jeremy Guthrie threw the first pitch at 1:07 p.m. EST, to Astros first baseman Marwin González, whom he eventually struck out. In the bottom of the first inning, second baseman Daniel Murphy doubled for the first hit in the ballpark's history, and a few minutes later scored its first run when right fielder Bryce Harper doubled to drive him home. In the top of the fourth inning, Astros designated hitter Carlos Beltrán hit the stadium's first home run, and catcher Derek Norris hit the first Nationals home run in the park's history in the bottom of the fourth. With two outs in the bottom of the ninth, outfielder Michael A. Taylor hit a walk-off solo home run to give the Nationals a 4–3 victory in their first game at their new spring training home.
The facility's name changed the following season, becoming FITTEAM Ballpark of the Palm Beaches after the Astros and Nationals signed a 12-year deal for the naming rights to the stadium on February 16, 2018, with FITTEAM, an event brand partnership and organic products firm in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
World Baseball Classic
Eight Nationals, including five participants in major league camp, were granted leave from spring training to participate in the 2017 World Baseball Classic (WBC). Starting pitcher Tanner Roark and second baseman Daniel Murphy played for Team USA, reliever Enny Romero played for Team Dominican Republic (eliminated in the second round), reliever Óliver Pérez played for Team Mexico (eliminated in the first round), minor league catcher Nick Rickles and minor league reliever R.C. Orlan played for Team Israel (eliminated in the first round), and minor league catcher Jhonatan Solano and minor league infielder Adrián Sánchez played for Team Colombia (eliminated in the first round). Reliever Rafael Martin was slated to be available for Mexico if they reached the second round, but due to a controversial scoring decision, the team failed to do so. Catcher Spencer Kieboom was listed on the preliminary roster for Team Netherlands but was left off the final announced roster. Starting pitcher Max Scherzer was originally expected to play for the United States, but he withdrew after announcing a stress fracture in the ring finger of his right hand in January.