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Who the Nationals should and should not trade at the deadline
Washington Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo will likely sell pieces at the MLB trade deadline come July 30. The team is currently seven games below .500 and five-and-a-half games out of the National League wild card.
Here are the players Washington will have to decide either to sell or hold.
Sell - Jesse Winker, OF
The 30-year-old left fielder is having his best season since his final year in Cincinnati, currently batting a healthy .268 with 10 home runs in 88 games played. Several teams will be in need of his services in the lead up to the postseason.
JESSE WINKER PINCH HIT FIREWORKS pic.twitter.com/rrDp1uQiqp
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) July 4, 2024
Hold - Lane Thomas, OF
It's understandable to see Thomas as a must-sell commodity this season as he's posting a healthy .245/.304/.406 line in 62 games. And according to WJFK's Grant Paulsen, the 28-year-old right fielder's splits against left-handed pitchers versus right-handers are confounding - something window-shopping teams may scrutinize.
Are we talking enough about Lane Thomas' extreme splits?
— Grant Paulsen (@granthpaulsen) July 9, 2024
For a second straight season, he's dominating against lefties and a completely different guy against righties. pic.twitter.com/Ln7fAyAjMZ
However, despite Thomas' significant trade value, moving on from him and Winker would lead to an outfielder shortage which could cause a premature reliance on prospects. Thomas' value may be greater in staying for one more season.
Sell - Trevor Williams, SP
Washington has found a solid rotation of young pitchers this season with Williams injured since early June. Meanwhile, his 5-0 record and 2.22 ERA in 11 starts could be enough to entice teams to invest once he's healthy.
Hold - Kyle Finnegan, RP
Finnegan may be Washington's most valuable asset, posting a 2.17 ERA and 23 saves this season. But only an offer too good to pass up should convince Rizzo to trade him.
If Washington's rebuild continues to stay on schedule offensively, losing Finnegan would leave the team too vulnerable on the mound late in games to make any progress in the win-loss column next season.
Sell - Dylan Floro & Hunter Harvey, RPs
Floro and Harvey may be the only pitchers Washington's bullpen can afford to lose.
In 43.2 innings this season, Floro is boasting a 2.06 ERA. But teams could be concerned with his latest stretch, during which he's posted a 4.91 ERA in just 7.1 innings.
Harvey is having similar struggles with a ballooned 4.40 ERA on the season due to an abysmal six-inning stretch over his last seven appearances which saw him give up 12 earned runs on 10 hits.
Teams will probably invest in their services anyways, and both are capable of returning to form once on a contender.
Unsellable - Patrick Corbin, SP & Joey Gallo, OF
Corbin's contract is way too expensive for teams to consider, especially with his terrible form. Gallo has been a disaster, struggling with injuries (just 46 games played) and not producing when healthy (.164 batting average). Washington would be lucky to get anything of worth in return for them.
Rizzo has a lot of decisions to make, but Washington is in a good position to rake in another decent haul at the deadline as it looks to take the next step in its rebuild.
More must-reads:
- Nats’ rising star CJ Abrams earns first All-Star Game selection
- Nationals designate veteran 3B for assignment instead of trying to trade him
- The '2019 Washington Nationals World Series roster' quiz
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