Nationals Predicted To Have 'A Boring Sale' Ahead of MLB Trade Deadline

The Washington Nationals have a solid core that has developed with a few bright spots on their roster.

Left fielder James Wood, shortstop CJ Abrams and starting pitcher MacKenzie Gore are foundational pieces that the future will be built around.

However, for the team to take that next step and truly leave their rebuild behind, they need other players to step up around them and start producing at a high level.

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There are several candidates who can achieve that, such as right fielder Dylan Crews, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 MLB draft, and the recently promoted third baseman, Brady House. Outfielders Daylen Lile and Robert Hassell III also have potential.

Alas, until the Nationals know they have the pieces in place to make a real playoff push, they aren’t going to spend a lot of money in free agency to augment their core with established veterans.

This past winter, when some people thought they would start to spend money, they instead went with the veteran stopgap route, signing players to mostly one-year deals.

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It hasn’t panned out as well as the team had hoped, with most of those players not providing much positive production on the field.

That has led to Washington having another underwhelming season on the field, currently sporting a 30-44 record, while riding an 11-game losing streak.

Such ineptitude has cemented their status as sellers ahead of the MLB trade deadline, but it leaves them without many desirable trade chips to work with.

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“It will be a boring sale, though. Kyle Finnegan and Nathaniel Lowe are nice pieces, and something might be made of Michael Soroka. But if it's priceless trade chips you want, it's best to look at the bottom of this division,” wrote Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report in a recent piece predicting the Nationals to be sellers.

Finnegan, the team’s closer on a one-year deal, is their best trade chip at this point.

Contending teams are always in need of bullpen help and he is a proven late-game option, recording 11+ saves in five consecutive campaigns. The two home runs he gave up in his most recent outing on June 16 are the first long balls surrendered since last August.

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Lowe’s price tag is hard to stomach given his lack of power at first base, but he has 10 home runs, 12 doubles and 45 RBI. That would be an upgrade for some teams at the corner infield spot and he provides solid defense.

The remainder of this season for the Nationals will focus on trading away whatever pieces have value and evaluating the youngsters to determine who is part of the foundation moving forward and where the team needs to find upgrades this upcoming offseason.

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