The Nationals Gave Jacob Young $23 Million for His Glove. He Has Never Won a Gold Glove.

The Washington Nationals have reportedly agreed to a four-year, $23 million extension with center fielder Jacob Young, with an $8 million club option for a fifth season. It is the kind of deal a team makes once it has decided that defense is a skill worth paying for in advance.

Robert Murray of FanSided first reported the terms on Friday. MLB.com’s Perla Paredes confirmed the agreement through a source who spoke with Mark Feinsand, and noted that the Nationals have not confirmed it. As of Sunday there is still no team announcement and no quote from Young or anyone in the front office.

His Defense Is Elite. His Trophy Case Is Empty.

Young’s defensive numbers are among the best in baseball at his position. Baseball Savant credits him with 49 Outs Above Average across four seasons, including a plus-20 in 2024 that led all outfielders. His sprint speed sat in the 91st percentile this year, down from the 98th as a rookie.

He has never won a Gold Glove. He was a finalist in 2024 and lost to Brenton Doyle. He was a finalist again in 2025 and lost to Pete Crow-Armstrong. In 2026 he was not a finalist at all, and Crow-Armstrong took both the Gold Glove and the National League Platinum Glove. Defensive Runs Saved actually graded Young slightly negative this season, which MLB Trade Rumors flagged as the honest counterpoint to the Savant number.

The bat is the reason this contract costs $23 million instead of $80 million. Young hit .252 with a .318 on-base percentage and a .390 slugging mark in 140 games, with career highs of 10 home runs and 50 RBI. His OPS+ was 94, also a career high, and still below league average. His career line across 443 games is .248/.312/.339 with 15 home runs.

The power uptick has an explanation. The Banner reported that Young worked on bat speed at Driveline and raised his pulled-ball rate to 15.7 percent from 5.9 percent in 2025. Whether that holds is the whole bet.

Washington Bought Five Years for the Price of Three

Young was arbitration-eligible for the first time this winter, with MLB Trade Rumors projecting $2.3 million. He had three arbitration years left and would have reached free agency after 2029. The extension covers all three of those years, guarantees what would have been his first free agent season in 2030, and adds a club option for 2031.

Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors estimated Young would have earned roughly $12 million to $15 million through arbitration, which means Washington is paying something like $8 million to $11 million for a free agent year and an option. Adams called the deal sensible for both sides and argued the glove and the speed give Young a floor as a useful fourth outfielder even if 2026 turns out to be his offensive ceiling.

The Player This Squeezes

Paul Toboni took over as president of baseball operations in October 2025, and this is his second extension. The first was Cade Cavalli in September, four years and $47 million guaranteed with a 2031 option. Keibert Ruiz is also signed through 2030. Washington now has three players locked into the same window after finishing 77-85 and fourth in the National League East under first-year manager Blake Butera.

The complication is Dylan Crews. With Young in center, James Wood in right and Daylen Lile in left, the former No. 2 overall pick projects as the fourth outfielder next season, which Brad Wakai of Sports Illustrated called a disappointing reality. Jim Bowden reported in The Athletic that Washington will try to extend Wood and CJ Abrams, and Abrams can reach free agency after 2028.

One more piece of context the reporting has not connected, so treat it as analysis rather than fact: the collective bargaining agreement expires at 11:59 p.m. ET on Dec. 1, and the industry expects owners to lock the players out immediately. Washington just removed one roster decision from a winter that may go dark in three weeks.

Carlos Garcia

A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.