Washington Nationals Primed to Become Sellers at MLB Trade Deadline, Per Report

According to The Athletic, the Washington Nationals could look to offload veterans and impending free agents like Jesse Winker, Dylan Floro, Hunter Harvey and Lane Thomas.

Jun 25, 2024; San Diego, California, USA; Washington Nationals left fielder Jesse Winker (6) is congratulated by right fielder Lane Thomas (28) after hitting a two-run home run against the San Diego Padres during the third inning at Petco Park. / Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

The Washington Nationals, for the first time since winning the World Series in 2019, are not playing like a last-place team.

It may not seem like an accomplishment worthy of celebration, but the Nationals are only 5.5 games out of the third NL Wild Card spot. Former top prospects are breaking out, narratives are shifting and the ship appears to be headed in the right direction.

Still, the Nationals are apparently on the verge of punting on contending in 2024.

The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, Katie Woo, Patrick Mooney and Will Sammon posted a compilation of reports regarding the upcoming MLB Trade Deadline on Tuesday, and they pegged Washington as a potential seller. According to their sources, general manager Mike Rizzo is "ready to shift into sell mode" with the deadline just three weeks out.

Emerging franchise cornerstones like shortstop CJ Abrams, starting pitcher MacKenzie Gore and outfielder James Wood are naturally expected to stay put past July 30. That might not be the case for some of the team's veterans, however.

Outfielders Jesse Winker and Lane Thomas and relievers Kyle Finnegan, Dylan Floro and Hunter Harvey were all mentioned as potential candidates to get shipped out of town. Starting pitcher Trevor Williams could be worth keeping an eye on as well, although he remains on the injured list with a right flexor muscle strain.

Winker, Floro and Williams are set to hit free agency this coming winter, while Thomas, Finnegan and Harvey have one year of team control remaining. That makes them expendable, in regards to the Nationals' plans for the future, and sending them to more established contenders could lead to some decent prospect returns.

Outside of Abrams, Winker has been Washington's most valuable position player so far this season. The 30-year-old has been thriving at designated hitter, batting .268 with 10 home runs, 41 RBI, 12 stolen bases, an .818 OPS and a 2.2 WAR.

Winker was once an All-Star with the Cincinnati Reds, batting .288 with an .888 OPS from 2017 to 2021. His reputation took a hit after two rough campaigns with the Seattle Mariners and New York Mets, but the Nationals could certainly take advantage of his resurgence this year.

Thomas, meanwhile, has been a constant in Washington's lineup ever since joining the team at the 2021 deadline. After batting .268 with 28 home runs, 86 RBI, 20 stolen bases, a .783 OPS and a 3.3 WAR in 2023, though, the 28-year-old is batting just .245 with eight home runs, 37 RBI, 21 stolen bases, a .710 OPS and a 0.3 WAR here in 2024.

Finnegan has taken a leap as the Nationals' closer this year, posting career-bests with a 2.17 ERA and a 0.964 WHIP. He is now up to 73 saves since the start of 2021, which ranks fifth in the NL in that time.

Floro and Harvey have each made over 40 relief appearances for Washington this season, with the former putting up a 2.06 ERA and the latter owning a 4.40.

The 2024 MLB Trade Deadline is set for 6 p.m. ET on July 30.

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