The Washington Nationals would have some tough decisions to make if MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred came out today and said, “We are instituting the ‘Golden Batter’ rule for the 2025 season.”

It is something that the owners have discussed of late, albeit not to implement as soon as 2025, and it would change the entire landscape of Major League Baseball.

For those unaware, the “Golden Batter” or “Golden At-Bat” rule would allow a team to let any player on their roster hit at any time once a game, even if they are already in the lineup and it is not their turn to do so.

Think back to the 2023 World Baseball Classic, where the final out of the whole shebang came down to (then) teammates Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout. It could be that situation but on a per-game basis.

For the Nationals, their “Mike Trout” in that scenario could be a number of their young core, but for now, it should be outfielder James Wood.

In 2024, his debut season, Wood batted .264/.354/.427 with nine home runs, 41 RBI, and a 122 OPS+ across 336 plate appearances in 79 games. Everyone expects Dylan Crews to be the better of the two in time, but for now, Wood is the clear choice.

A runner on third with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning of a tie game and at the bottom of the lineup? Nah, here comes Wood instead of Keibert Ruiz.

The “Golden Batter” is a concept that the Savannah Bananas instituted into their exhibition games, along with all of the other wacky rules they have.

Other rules the Bananas have during their games include a batter is out if a fan in the stands catches a foul ball. If there is a base on balls, the batter must sprint to first base and advance as far as they can while the defense throws the ball around to each fielder before they can attempt to make the out—exhibition/sports entertainment type things.

Manfred did clarify that the concept is only in the very early stages of discussion among himself and the owners. Even with how much baseball has changed during Manfred’s tenure as commissioner, this may be a step too far.

Regardless of whether this does come to be or not, it is still a fun discussion to have and an interesting exercise to think of who the “Golden Batter” would be for each team.

For Washington, at least for now, it would not take too much time to think before coming to the conclusion of Wood.

The Washington Nationals are one of the franchises that are going to look to spend this offseason. If they had it their way, their big splash would be a reunion with superstar outfielder Juan Soto.

The four-time All-Star began his career in the nation’s capital, playing there for the first four and a half seasons as a pro. He was an integral part to their 2019 World Series Championship team but was traded during the 2022 season.

The Nationals had done everything in their power to lock Soto in on a long-term deal. He turned down their extension offers, which resulted in the team trading him to the San Diego Padres, along with Josh Bell, for a haul of prospects.

That haul now makes up the foundation of their roster.

Left fielder James Wood, All-Star shortstop CJ Abrams and ace MacKenzie Gore were all part of that package. Outfielder Robert Hassell III, who was the highest-rated prospect included, is looking to get his career back on track after a dominant Arizona Fall League stint.

Bringing Soto back into the fold with that emerging young core would have be a much-needed jolt for the franchise and fan base. There isn’t a single player remaining from that championship team on the roster, with starting pitcher Patrick Corbin hitting free agency.

Having the superstar right fielder fill that void is something the franchise was open to, as they would have loved a reunion. Alas, it doesn’t sound like it will be in the cards.

Despite Washington being named as a fit for Soto, they don’t seem to be in the running. One of the teams who are, the New York Mets, is where Andy McCullough of The Athletic, is predicting he will land.

“Scott Boras referred to Soto as “the Mona Lisa of the museum.” Steve Cohen is baseball’s most prolific art collector. We looked like knuckleheads last year when our galaxy-brained take on Shohei Ohtani led us to forecasting him joining the Texas Rangers. No need to complicate things. Cohen has the deepest pockets. He will dip into them to sign Soto to the richest (present-day value, for sure) contract in baseball history.”

Out of all of the teams Soto has been linked to, which includes the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers, landing in Queens with the Mets is likely the worst.

That would certainly be a bit of a tough blow for the Nationals. Having to play against him in the National League East for likely the next 10-plus years is not how ownership and the front office envisioned things when they traded him out west just over two years ago.

It is a saga that everyone in the baseball world is keeping a close eye on, as Soto’s decision will have a ripple effect on the league. His decision is expected to come by the middle of next week, which is when the Winter Meetings are set to begin.

The UCLA Bruins (7-1) took care of business as they defeated the Washington Huskies (6-2) at home, 69-58, with sensational play all across the roster. The Bruins had three different scorers in double figures, with junior forward Tyler Bilodeau and sophomore guard Sebastian Mack tied for the team-high at 16 each.

The Bruins stay undefeated at Pauley Pavilion this season, earning a 1-0 record in Big Ten play while riding a six-game winning streak. Things are clicking for the Bruins, and their depth and experience are beginning to shine through.

It was a wire-to-wire win for the Bruins as they jumped out to an early lead with BIlodeau scoring the team’s first seven points. They would take a 29-24 lead into halftime and extend it in the final 10 minutes of the game, playing their best basketball of the game.

Bilodeau finished with nine rebounds with his 16 points, nearly giving him his second double-double of the year. The transfer from Oregon State scored in double figures for the sixth time in his first eight games with the Bruins.

UCLA forced turnovers, took charges, found the open shot and knocked it down. All the things that Coach Mick Cronin loves to see from his group and textbook complementary basketball. The final 10 minutes was the difference maker as Mack hit a dagger 3 with 4 minutes left.

Mack went to the line 12 times, connecting on seven of those free throws. He was 4-of-12 from the field and his ability to get past defenders and get fouled at the rim allowed him to score some easy points at the charity stripe. This was Mack’s fifth game scoring in double figures and is become a rising star.

The Bruins were exceptional in handling the basketball, as they only turned it over eight times, which is well below their average. On the defensive end, they forced 12 turnovers that led to 19 points from those giveaways. This team is continuing to get better and showed it against a conference team.

Junior guard Dylan Andrews chipped in with 12 points on 5-of-12 shooting from the field and 2-of-4 from 3-point range. Andrews has continued to receive an increase in minutes as one of the veteran leaders of the team.

The Bruins executed well in nearly every facet but did allow 10 offensive rebounds, resulting in nine second-chance points. The Huskies pulled within three points late in the first half and the Bruins found themselves up by just a handful at the break. They would make the necessary changes.

The tougher games are still ahead for the Bruins as they will hit the road for the first time since they lost New Mexico on a neutral court in Henderson, Nev. It will be yet another conference opponent on the ticket as they will head to play No. 12 Oregon Ducks (8-0) this Sunday afternoon.

Ensure you follow on X (Twitter) @UCLAInsideronSI and @tcav30 and never miss another breaking news story again.

Please let us know your thoughts when you like our Facebook page WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.