May 6, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Nationals relief pitcher Kyle Finnegan (67) looks toward home plate during the ninth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Nationals Park. James A. Pittman-Imagn Images

Nationals Could Get Ahead Of Trade Market By Dealing Closer Sooner Than Later

Originally posted on Washington Nationals on SI
By Anders Pryor | Last updated May 23, 2025 7:00 PM ET

The Washington Nationals extended their win streak to five games on Thursday night after beating the Atlanta Braves in an 8-7 shootout to regain some ground in the race for third place in the stacked National League East. The squad's young, surging offense will now face one of its biggest challenges yet in the elite bullpen of the San Francisco Giants.

While the winning streak is exciting, there's still a long road ahead. And in a scenario where the Nationals come crashing down hard enough to put themselves out of any kind of post-season appearance quickly, they could get ahead of selling to maximize value for the future.

Kyle Finnegan has been at the center of trade talks since resigning with Washington before the season even began. Much of that is rooted in preseason expectations for the Nationals as a young team with exciting bats that just aren't refined enough to take the team anywhere significant.

Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

MLB.com's Mark Feinsand notes that the Washington could "jump-start" the trade market if they don't keep up the current scoring pace. Feinsand notes that other movable pieces like Andrew Chafin, Paul DeJong, Josh Bell, and Jorge Lopez are having subpar years and might not be worth jumping the gun on, just in case the team can get themselves in buying shape.

But Finnegan, with his 2.41 ERA and 15 saves, could be peaking in value. Although he's shown to be good enough to put up those kinds of numbers throughout a year, regardless, teams would be willing to fork over more in exchange should they get him for a longer duration while he's still on his one-year, $6 million deal.

The Nationals' recent hot streak has made the conversation around Finnegan more complex, but one thing remains constant: if Dave Martinez and company do decide to sell early, he's probably the first to go.

This article first appeared on Washington Nationals on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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