Former MLB Executive Proposes Trade Deadline Deal Between Nationals and Giants

It wasn’t too long ago that the Washington Nationals looked like they could hang around in the National League playoff picture.

After defeating the Texas Rangers on June 6, they had a 30-33 record. Certainly not contenders, but showing signs of climbing out of their rebuild and competing down the stretch.

Unfortunately, what ensued after that victory was an 11-game losing streak, all but ending their playoff hopes.

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Now owning a 33-46 record and sitting 10 games out of the wild card race, the Nationals are one of the few teams that look like surefire sellers ahead of the MLB trade deadline this year.

Washington has a few players who will garner interest around the league, with their most valuable potentially being closer Kyle Finnegan.

In what will be a seller’s market, expect the Nationals to cash on on a prime asset after electing to hold onto him through the deadline in 2024.

Playing out a one-year, $5.38 million deal, contenders will line up to acquire him as an experienced high-leverage arm.

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Finnegan has 11+ saves in five consecutive campaigns and saved a career-high 38 in 2024, being named to his first All-Star team.

In many facets, 2025 has been his most dominant season with an ERA+ of 136 and a 2.93 ERA across 27.2 innings. He isn’t a high strikeout pitcher, with only 22 on the year, but has also cut down on his walks and home runs allowed, inducing as soft of contact as any point in his career.

One of the teams that could show an interest in him is the San Francisco Giants, whom Jim Bowden of The Athletic (subscription required) has pitched a hypothetical trade.

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The former MLB executive proposes that Finnegan go to the Giants in exchange for two left-handed pitching prospects: Joe Whitman and Jacob Bresnahan.

“Whitman, 23, has logged a 5.56 ERA over 13 starts with 62 strikeouts in 56 2/3 innings this season at Double A. Bresnahan, 19, has a 3.33 ERA with 59 strikeouts over 46 innings in Low A,” Bowden wrote.

Receiving the No. 5 and No. 14 ranked prospects in an organization, even one as lowly rated as San Francisco’s currently is, is a solid haul in exchange for a relief pitcher that could very well be a rental.

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It feels like a matter of when, not if, Finnegan is on the move as the Nationals should look to cash in on his value to add some more depth to the farm system.

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