Nationals Could Help Divisional Rival Fill Biggest Need on Roster Ahead of Deadline

A recent 11-game losing streak all but dashed whatever hopes the Washington Nationals had of making a run to the postseason this year.

Now 32-46 on the campaign entering play on June 23, the Nationals have less than a 0.1% chance of making the playoffs, per Baseball Reference.

That makes them one of the few franchises in the MLB who are going to be surefire sellers in the coming weeks ahead of the trade deadline.

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Unlike some of the other teams near the bottom of the standings -- such as the Chicago White Sox and Colorado Rockies -- the Nationals have a few players who have legitimate value and are sought after in the trade market.

One player to keep an eye on is closer Kyle Finnegan.

After being non-tendered by Washington early in the winter, he ended up returning to the franchise on a one-year, $5.38 million deal after his market never materialized.

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That was a good amount of savings for the Nationals since Finnegan was projected to earn over $8 million in arbitration.

He has performed well once again as the team’s closer, converting 18 save chances to go along with a 2.96 ERA across 27.1 innings.

Washington surprised some people when they held onto Finnegan through the trade deadline in 2024 despite not being in contention for a playoff spot and several contenders needing help at the back end of their bullpen.

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With a similar situation set to play out in 2025, they should take full advantage of what will be a seller’s market for relief pitching.

One of the teams that will be on the lookout for high-leverage, late-inning bullpen help is their National League East rivals, the Philadelphia Phillies.

Tim Kelly of Bleacher Report has suggested Finnegan as a potential trade target for the Phillies and it is easy to see the fit.

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Philadelphia needs help in their bullpen after their offseason additions of Jordan Romano, Carlos Hernandez and Joe Ross have not stepped up to replace the losses of Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estevez in free agency.

Adding a player who has saved at least 11 games in five consecutive years is the exact kind of boost the Phillies need at the back end of their bullpen, which suffered another blow when closer Jose Alvarado was suspended for 80 games.

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