Proposed Trade Sends Nationals Fan Favorite Southpaw to New York Mets

The Washington Nationals are dead last in their division and seem like one of the few teams that are without a doubt going to be sellers at the deadline coming up.

Offseason signings like Josh Bell, Kyle Finnegan and Amed Rosario are sure to be hot commodities in just a few weeks. One of the most intriguing pieces on their roster, though, is someone they added during the season.

Southpaw Andrew Chafin signed with the team in early May and has posted a solid first half since then. Left-handed relievers are going to go at a premium this year, so the Nationals should have no issue trading him away.

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One team that makes perfect sense as a trade partner is the New York Mets. The two sides worked together last year in a deal that sent Jesse Winker to the Mets for Tyler Stuart.

A potential deal surrounding Chafin could see Washington ship the lefty to New York in exchange for pitching prospect Nate Dohm.

That is a top-20 organizational prospect, one of their better right-handed arms, in exchange for a left-handed specialist. It would be a win-win deal, much like the Winker trade.

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Chafin has posted a 2.81 ERA with 15 strikeouts over 16 innings and a 1.625 WHIP. He missed most of June with a hamstring issue, but has looked solid in his return.

While the Nationals don't really use him as a specialist, that is what the Mets would be better off doing.

Left-handed batters have posted just a .138/.306/.138 slash line against him while righties are at .367/.441/.500. It has been more even than that throughout his career, but opposite side hitters have been an issue for him this time around.

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Still, he doesn't get hit very hard and his slider has the best Stuff+ numebrs of his career.

Dohm, the prospect that Washington would be getting in return, was a third-round draft pick back in 2024. He didn't pitch much in college and he has some injury issues in the past, but he has a ton of potential when he's on.

The 22-year-old has a 3.12 ERA over 15 starts (16 appearances total) with 71 strikeouts in 57.2 innings. He has a 1.318 WHIP with 23 walks so far this season.

Dohm's fastball has a high ceiling as it is already mid-90s and can get up to the high-90s. He has a changeup and a slider as well.

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