The Washington Nationals have just made a move that will keep one of their newly-minted core players with the team for a while longer.

According to Robert Murray of FanSided, the Nationals and outfielder Jacob Young agreed to a contract extension. The insider later revealed that the contract is a four-year deal worth $23 million, and that includes an $8 million club option for a fifth season. This is a massive bit of news that will keep one of the game's best defensive center fielders in the nation's capital.

Of course, this comes after Washington extended their ace Cade Cavalli before the end of the 2026 season. And subsequent reporting revealed that president of baseball operations Paul Toboni and his front office are going to attempt to extend stars James Wood and CJ Abrams this winter, as well.

Jacob Young Appears To Be Long-Term Piece of the Puzzle

But the second domino to fall after Cavalli was to get Young locked into a contract. Based on what was taking place last offseason when the elite defender was being shopped around, this outcome seemed unlikely. However, Young showed growth at the plate throughout the 2026 campaign, as the once-poor hitter finished with a .252/.318/.390 slash line to go along with career-highs in home runs (10), RBIs (50) and OPS+ (94).

Still, considering the fact that Young was scheduled to be under club control until 2030, this move comes as somewhat of a surprise.

Some teams around the league had Young circled as a possible trade candidate, and six of Washington's top 30 prospects primarily playing in the outfield. So committing to Young for an extended period of time with Wood, Daylen Lile and Dylan Crews already on the roster is notable.

When looking at the deal, Young had one year of free agency bought out by agreeing to this extension. And at roughly $5.75 million AAV, this is a team-friendly deal for the Nationals that covers Young's arbitration years and gives Toboni and his front office financial flexibility to improve the roster or extend some of their other notable players.

Washington seems to value the elite glove that Young provides, and if he eventually turns into a fourth outfielder because Crews becomes the elite player he was projected to be when coming up as a prospect, then the money owed to Young on a per season basis isn't debilitating.

Overall, this seems like a solid move by both parties, as the Nationals hold onto one of the game's best defensive center fielders for a team-friendly price, while Young gets assurances on what he'll get paid over the next four years.