Nationals Encouragingly Absent From List of Current MLB Trade Deadline Sellers

Squint hard enough when looking at the Washington Nationals and it is easy to see a team that can be on the rise.

There are a lot of pieces to get excited about on the roster, headlined by their dynamic power duo of shortstop CJ Abrams and left fielder James Wood.

Both are performing at an All-Star level, mashing the ball with regularity. They are first and second in home runs and doubles on the team; Wood leads in both categories with 12 long balls and 11 doubles, while Abrams has eight homers and nine doubles.

They are two of only four qualified players on the team with an OPS+ above the league average of 100; Abrams leads the way with a 164, Wood has a 155, Alex Call is at 118 and Amed Rosario is 115.

Catcher Keibert Ruiz and first baseman Nathaniel Lowe are close with a 98 and 97, respectively.

On the mound, MacKenzie Gore is developing into an ace and the best strikeout pitcher in baseball, leading the league with 84 through his first 10 starts and an MLB-best 13.4 K/9. Jake Irvin and Mitchell Parker have been very good as well, giving the team a really solid triple threat to build around.

The bullpen, unfortunately, has been a mess. They have already moved on from two veteran offseason additions, Colin Poche and Lucas Sims.

On the bright side, youngsters Jackson Rutledge and Cole Henry are taking well to their roles as relievers and provide some optimism for the future, moving into more prominent roles.

With a 21-27 record entering play on May 19 and their playoff odds nearly nonexistent, it is a bit of a surprise that the Nationals weren’t listed amongst the sellers in the MLB right now in a recent piece by Tim Kelly of Bleacher Report.

The Pittsburgh Pirates, Baltimore Orioles, Miami Marlins and Los Angeles Angels were listed instead.

That should be taken as an encouraging sign by Washington fans of their team taking steps in the right direction.

Competing in the loaded National League East with the New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves is a tall task for a team that needs to play perfectly to make up for the talent disparity.

There is a ways to go, but the Nationals have a clean payroll, a legitimate foundation being built and even more high-upside youngsters on the way that they will sooner than later be in the conversation as buyers ahead of the deadline.