Washington Nationals Deadline Pickup Has Real Chance To Win Job for Next Year
The Washington Nationals made a quiet pickup at the trade deadline and he's starting to look like he may be worth some consideration in their future plans.
MLB.com's Jessica Camerato examined which Nationals player had "the most to prove down the stretch" and named rookie slugger Jose Tena as someone who can earn more playing time with a strong finish.
"While Washington's No. 2 prospect Brady House is expected to debut next season at third base, Tena is making a strong case for playing time," she wrote.
The 23-year-old was one of the players Washington got back when they shipped outfielder Lane Thomas to the Cleveland Guardians right before the deadline. Alex Clemmey and Rafael Ramirez Jr. were also included in the deal.
Thomas was the headlining player of that trade as the veteran went to a contending team as a rental. He's been forgettable since the deal, putting up just a .194/.276/.280 slash line in 32 games with the Guardians.
Still, it caused Tena to be slightly overlooked as a solid pickup as Clemmey was actually the top-rated prospect included in the package.
Tena didn't get off to a hot start with the Triple-A team after the move. He put up just a .180/.256/.359 slash line over his first 10 games.
Still, the team decided to call him back up for his second MLB stint of the season. His first one lasted just three games where he went 0-for-4 at the plate.
Since being promoted, he's looked the best at the plate that he has in a while with a .296/.333/.409 slash line over the last 19 games.
He has the workings of a wonderful utilityman if he can continue his play at the plate. He's stuck to the hot corner in the big leagues, but also has experience in the middle of the infield.
Washington will have their starting infield set next season, especially if House does make his way up, but a role on the bench is certainly up for grabs.
The Nationals want to compete for a World Series soon. A big part of that is having guys ready to plug holes in case injuries start to pile up. Having a solid bat to bring up in-house already would make their offseason plans much simpler.
Tena finishing the year strong could act as a win-win, giving Washington their utilityman and keeping him away from another stint in the minors.
