This season could get a whole lot weirder down the stretch.The Washington Nationals’ star outfielder, James Wood, is on the shelf, and their star shortstop (or second baseman, I guess), CJ Abrams, could join him soon. They have been one of the worst teams in MLB since late July, which is to say that they probably will not finish with a winning record in 2026, but can pull some levers that could help them earn one in 2027.Here are some thoughts on the Nats:Nats should consider turning starters into relievers, vice versaWhether it was the former team of manager Blake Butera (the Tampa Bay Rays) or pitching director Grayson Crawford (New York Mets), the Nationals know what it takes to turn relievers into starters — something the team has largely shunned in the past.Other teams have learned that transition is possible if a pitcher can fill up the zone, get both-sided hitters out, have one “plus” pitch and a deeper arsenal behind it. The Nats have a few candidates on the 40-man roster with unclear futures who could fit that profile.Lefty Will Dion fits those characteristics on the big-league roster. Triple-A Rochester’s pitching staff is almost entirely composed of relievers at the moment, which has given a few pitchers (righty Zak Kent, lefty Jared Simpson) a shot to try the switch out in the interim. Eddy Yean is also an arm worth considering if he widens his mix.Then, of course, there’s the inverse: turning a starter into a reliever. One candidate could be Jake Irvin, who has a 5.80 ERA this season and is far more effective when his velocity is up.Given the state of the pitching staff and the growth it needs next year, some educated dart throws could be wise.Team pillars generally can’t be platoon batsThe Nationals have the highest-scoring offense in MLB and arguably the best platoon-hitting offense in baseball. It seems like the right formula, and I don’t imagine they’ll deviate from it next year.Still, there are only so many spots on the roster, which complicates matters. A first-base platoon is likely to take up two roster spots in 2027. Additionally, the upper levels of the minor leagues are largely filled with right-handed bats, which makes it even more important for Brady House and Dylan Crews (and to a lesser extent, Jacob Young) to hit righties — there isn’t an obvious platoon bat on the way.PositionPlayerHandednessOPS vs. LHPOPS vs. RHP3BBrady HouseRight1.0020.528OFDylan CrewsRight0.8570.533OFJacob YoungRight0.8470.642OFDaylen LileLeft0.5460.742Nats could experiment with funky defensive lookAndres Chaparro has finally earned regular at-bats, and he now leads MLB with a 1.183 OPS in the second half, which prompts a 2027 roster question: Would they consider putting Chaparro at first base against lefties to platoon with Abimelec Ortiz and play him at third base against righties to reprieve House, who has struggled against righties?That certainly seems like the best offensive construction even if it’s an odd fit defensively, and the emergence of a prospect who could play third base — perhaps Seaver King, who probably deserves a promotion as is and just got his first reps at third base — could throw a wrench in this.Chaparro gets semi-regular work at third base pregame but has played just three innings there. He had a decent defensive reputation at third base in the minors, but he doesn’t totally profile at that spot in the majors. It would be a risk. Still, it would help clarify the roster construction if the Nats believe his production will carry into 2027 and believe the glove can translate.Which, of course, is a lot of times to say “believe.”Injury fortunes should factor into 2027 outlookWashington has been fortunate on the injury front up until this point. Wood is sidelined with an oblique that doesn’t seem to be improving as he or the team would have hoped. Abrams, right before he was set to move to second base, is day to day with a sprained ankle and could require imaging, Butera told reporters in Texas.For as good as the Nats have been this season, and for as much as I expect them to take a step forward in 2027, their depth really hasn’t been tested. Some bozo (me) should have factored that in when he said they were going to use the most players in MLB this season. This next stretch, depending on Abrams’ health, could tell us a good bit about their ability to weather a storm.I have also heard that the Nationals expect their biomechanics/strength and conditioning group to get an influx of new tools and information next season. Perhaps that will help too.We’re going to get a 200 K season from Cade CavalliWhy? He’s been one of the best pitchers in MLB for two months, helped in large part by a new cutter. He would be the first National since 2019 to accomplish the feat.Also, when asked about managing a pitcher’s innings based on the previous year’s workload, Butera said, “We don’t really believe that’s the answer, unless it’s some crazy injury they’re coming off of, and the doctor recommends that. But a lot of what we’re doing is just monitoring the stuff, monitoring the workload, and making sure that everything’s staying on the same trend line that we’ve seen thus far. And if that starts to wiggle at all, we’ll make our adjustments.”Three random things that deserve love