Should Nationals Send Their Slugger To Red Sox for This Prospect?

As the trade deadline draws near, the Washington Nationals need to figure out their plan.

Last year, they surprisingly held onto Kyle Finnegan despite him projecting to be one of the best relievers available for contending teams to acquire.

All signs are pointing to the Nationals learning from that mistake, however, they have an opportunity to be ultra-aggressive if they undergo a full fire sale with their most desirable trade chips.

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Someone who could become a popular name is Nathaniel Lowe.

Acquired this past winter in a deal with the Texas Rangers, the slugging first baseman hasn't quite performed at the rate Washington envisioned with a .231/.299/.396 slash line that has him under the league average OPS+ mark of 100 for the first time in his career, but he would help out plenty of teams who are looking for a lefty bat with power.

Insert the Boston Red Sox.

While they are seen as potential deadline sellers based on them fizzling out at this stage of the season, they could also try to address their first base issue by trading for Lowe.

If that were to happen, Jim Bowden of The Athletic (subscription required) put together a potential package that could work for both teams, with Lowe being sent to the Red Sox in exchange for left-handed pitcher Payton Tolle.

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Should the Nationals be interested in this deal?

If it gets put on the table, they shouldn't think twice about accepting the offer.

Tolle is a left-hander who dominated the High-A level this year with 79 strikeouts in 49 2/3 innings pitched, getting promoted to Double-A after 11 outings (10 starts) because of his 3.62 ERA.

This is his first professional season after being taken in the second round of the 2024 draft, and what's most impressive about the 22-year-old is that he has shown to have strong command on top of a fastball that sits in the mid-90 mph range.

His WHIP was 1.07 after walking only 18 batters, a positive sign about what he can do at the higher levels.

Thus far at Double-A, Tolle has made two appearances with one start, racking up 17 strikeouts in nine innings pitched with just two walks and two earned runs allowed.

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He seems ready to fly through the minor leagues, and because of that, he should be the exact type of pitcher Washington seeks out ahead of the trade deadline this season as they search for ways to upgrade their pitching outlook.

While this deal is unlikely to get done, this type of return is what the Nationals should be searching for when they move their best assets.

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