On Friday, the Washington Nationals made another notable long-term decision.

After locking staff ace Cade Cavalli into a contract extension before the end of the 2026 season, they secured elite defensive center fielder Jacob Young with a four-year extension on Nov. 6. Worth $23 million that covers all of his arbitration years and the first year of free agency, there is an $8 million club option for the 2031 season, as well.

That is a notable commitment to a player that has largely been a glove-first guy throughout his career. And while Young showed improvement at the plate in 2026 with career-highs in home runs (10) and RBIs (50), he was still below average when it came to OPS+ (94).

Keeping one of the game's best defenders on the roster on a team-friendly deal is a smart move. However, that does create some murkiness when it comes to the future of former top prospect Dylan Crews, who struggled once again this past season.

Dylan Crews Still in Short-Term Plans

As of now, nothing has seemingly changed when it comes to the organization's plan for Crews.

Per Spencer Nusbaum of The Athletic (subscription required), the Nationals will likely do the same thing next year that they did in 2026 regarding their outfield rotation, as the quartet of Young, Crews, Daylen Lile and James Wood all made 400-plus plate appearances.

Still, the extension for Young now makes things interesting, as it appears like Washington is committed to using him as their primary center fielder, with 2026 Gold Glove finalist Lile in left field and ascending superstar and 2026 Silver Slugger finalist Wood in right. That means Crews would slot into the fourth outfielder spot, which is a disappointing reality for the former No. 2 overall pick who was one of the game's top prospects when coming up the minor league ranks.

Ideally, Crews has his long-awaited breakout in 2027. That would give the Nationals four high-end outfielders, which would be a great problem to have. But only three outfielders can be on the field at the same time, which might change the long-term thinking of the organization when it comes to Crews.

Could Dylan Crews Turn Into a Trade Asset?

This is would be a stunning development if it got to this point, but with Young now secured for the foreseeable future, there is a scenario where president of baseball operations Paul Toboni shops Crews around the league.

That likely won't come this offseason or during the 2027 campaign, but it's something to keep an eye on going forward if Crews still can't take the next step in his career. Of course, that would result in Washington selling low based on the past profile of Crews. But if it's clear that he doesn't have a long-term future in the nation's capital, then flipping him for long-term assets might be a course of action that this aggressive front office might take at some point.

It would take a lot to get there, though, and it's something the Nationals would prefer not to do. But it can't be ruled out if the results are underwhelming in 2027, even when factoring in the fact that Crews is under club control through 2031.

In the meantime, expect Washington to deploy their outfield in a similar manner next year. That will keep Young and his newly-minted contract on the field as much as possible, while also giving Crews a chance to break out.