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It’s hard to imagine any trade deadline that approaches the Nationals’ 2021 trade deadline in terms of both volume and significant names. Over those wild 36 hours, former general manager Mike Rizzo made six deals involving eight veterans in exchange for 12 prospects, kickstarting an organizational rebuild that still continues to this day.
Mike DeBartolo probably won’t match his predecessor, but as Major League Baseball’s official deadline day arrives, the interim GM is already showing a willingness to be exceptionally active.
It began Saturday night when the Nationals dealt infielder Amed Rosario to the Yankees for minor leaguers Clayton Beeter and Browm Martinez. It continued Wednesday afternoon when they sent relievers Andrew Chafin and Luis Garcia together to the Angels for left-hander Jake Eder and first baseman Sam Brown. And it didn’t let up Wednesday night when (with the team still en route home from Houston to D.C.) Michael Soroka was traded to the Cubs for infielder Ronny Cruz and outfielder Christian Franklin (both top-15-ranked prospects in Chicago’s farm system).
All this before the actual deadline day, which figures to be plenty active in its own right.
DeBartolo has now dealt four of the team’s seven veterans on expiring contracts. He’s still got Kyle Finnegan, Josh Bell and Paul DeJong on the docket before the 6 p.m. deadline.
Given the flurry of moves Wednesday across baseball for relievers, Finnegan should still fetch a halfway decent return. He’s not on par with the other closers who were dealt (the Twins’ Jhoan Duran, the Cardinals’ Ryan Helsley) but he’s still a proven, durable, late-inning arm who would fit in nicely in several contenders’ bullpens as a setup man.
It may be tougher to get much in return for Bell and DeJong, two veterans who have played better of late but haven’t enjoyed productive seasons overall, in Bell’s case because of his April and May struggles at the plate, in DeJong’s case because of his scary injury after getting struck by a fastball in the face. But both guys are mentally prepared to be on the move, with Bell looking at a late-July deal for the fourth consecutive year.
If they all go before 6 p.m., that would be seven players gone in six trades. And we haven’t even discussed the others who could also be dealt, those still under club control beyond 2025.
It’s less clear how motivated DeBartolo is to part ways with any of those players, but there are no shortage of candidates who might make sense.
Nathaniel Lowe was acquired from the Rangers last winter by Rizzo, who was willing to give up five years of control of reliever Robert Garcia for two years of control of a Gold Glove-winning, power-hitting first baseman. Two-thirds of the way through this first season, Lowe hasn’t been everything the Nats hoped, hitting for power and driving in runs but sporting a sub-.700 OPS and playing below-average defense. He’s due to make somewhere in the range of $13 million to $14 million next year in arbitration. DeBartolo might not believe he’s worth retaining at that price and see if anyone is willing to give up a prospect for him now.
Luis Garcia Jr., who debuted in 2020, is the second-longest tenured player on the roster, trailing only Finnegan. He’s under club control through 2027, and he’s been an above-average offensive player at second base the last two seasons. He remains, however, one of the lowest-rated defensive players in baseball, regardless of position. Could the Nationals be ready to move on? If so, how much would they expect in return?
There’s a crowded outfield to confront, as well. With Dylan Crews finally on the verge of returning from an oblique strain suffered more than two months ago, somebody has to go. Do the Nats want to send Daylen Lile back to Triple-A, or do they believe he’s done enough to warrant staying in the majors? And if so, would they look to shop either Alex Call or even Jacob Young to a contending team in search of outfield depth for the stretch run?
And last, but certainly not least, is MacKenzie Gore. The young staff ace was one of the most important prospects acquired in Rizzo’s 2021-22 sell-off, blossoming into an All-Star. But he’s only under club control two more seasons beyond this, and if the belief is he’s unlikely to re-sign long-term, does it make baseball sense to trade him now with his value as high as it’s going to get?
DeBartolo is likely to hold his ground on his demands for any Gore trade, with a hefty price tag rightfully attached to his name. But if someone out there is desperate enough to meet the asking price – just as the Padres’ A.J. Preller was for Juan Soto three years ago – the 2025 trade deadline might yet prove as dramatic as any previous one conducted by the Nationals’ former GM.
