-1745819772711.png){kind=logo}
Interim general manager Mike DeBartolo has already conceded the Nationals will be sellers at next week’s trade deadline. And he also mentioned he’s not looking to trade the team’s top young players, such as MacKenzie Gore, though he said he would answer the phone if another team called to ask.
That likely just leaves veterans on expiring contracts to be traded as two-month rentals. The price tags for such players are usually low, but teams may become desperate as they look to reload their rosters ahead of playoff runs.
Luckily, the Nats have a handful of such players. And even more fortunately, those players are trending in the right direction at the right time.
Perhaps the most positive development has been Josh Bell’s recent surge.
After slashing just .151/.254/.289 through his first 45 games this season, the switch-hitter is now slashing .298/.374/.497 with an .871 OPS, nine doubles, seven home runs, 23 RBIs and 17 walks to 19 strikeouts over his last 43 games. Even better, he’s slashing .309/.389/.491 with an .880 OPS over his last 32 and has homered in back-to-back games.
On the mound, Michael Soroka had another strong outing Wednesday. The veteran right-hander now has a 4.21 ERA over his last nine starts and an even more impressive 2.45 ERA over his last three.
And he’s good in short spurts, reverting back to his success as a reliever last year with the White Sox when he had a 2.75 ERA and 1.222 WHIP in 16 appearances out of the bullpen. Through the first three innings this year, Sokora has a 3.00 ERA. In innings four through six, he has a 7.36 ERA.
He’ll have another chance to prove his worth with one more start next week in Houston.
Kyle Finnegan has been a name that has come up around each of the last two deadlines, but he was never dealt. And although his value is less than it was in either of the last two years, all contenders could use more relief help.
Yes, Finnegan had a blown save and a loss in back-to-back outings to end the first half and start the second, giving up a combined eight runs while recording just two total outs. But he bounced back Saturday to pitch a perfect ninth inning with two strikeouts to record his 19th save of the season, tied for fifth in the National League.
But before that first meltdown ahead of the All-Star break, he had pitched 8 ⅓ scoreless innings over eight appearances, with six strikeouts, two walks and no hits. Go back even further and Finnegan had pitched 12 scoreless outings in 13 appearances.
The 33-year-old probably won’t close out games for another team, but he could be a valuable piece to cover middle innings.
Less valuable, but possibly movable pieces include Amed Rosario and Paul DeJong.
Rosario is hitting a respectable .270 in 46 games this season. And he’s slashing .294/.351/.500 with an .851 OPS over his last 10 outings.
He could have value as a bench piece with his .299/.333/.483 slash line and .816 OPS against left-handed pitching.
DeJong is slashing .290/.353/.452 with an .805 OPS over his last nine games. He also has hits in six straight games while riding a 10-game on-base streak.
What the Nationals could get in return for these players remains to be seen. But they should field offers on them as they all are playing well at the perfect time ahead of the trade deadline.
* The Nationals announced the signings of two more draft picks yesterday, each reportedly well over slot value.
Per MLB Pipeline’s Jim Callis, the Nats signed fifth-rounder Coy James for $2.5 million, which sets the record for the highest bonus ever given to a player selected after the fourth round. The slot value for the 142nd-overall pick was $508,900.
James, a North Carolina high school shortstop, was scouted as being able to hit for power and average with a strong arm in the field. The over slot signing bonus kept him away from his commitment to play at the University of Mississippi.
Callis also reported the Nats also signed third-rounder Landon Harmon for $2.5 million, with the slot value for the 80th-overall pick set at $1,010,600.
A Mississippi prep right-hander, Harmon is said to have an easy fastball up to 99 mph, good feel for his low-80s slider, athleticism and good arm extension. The bonus signs him away from his commitment to Mississippi State.
This comes after the Nats signed fourth-round pick Miguel Sime Jr. earlier this week to a $2 million signing bonus, well above the designated slot value of $687,800, to keep the flamethrowing right-hander away from his commitment to LSU.
All of these over slot signings are possible because the Nats saved almost $3 million in their pool by signing No. 1 overall pick Eli Willits to a $8.20 million bonus when the slot value for the top selection was $11.08 million.
