With the trade deadline just a couple weeks away, the Nationals have a few obvious lanes to explore - and four teams keep popping up as the most realistic partners: the Angels, Red Sox, Cubs and Guardians.
The cleanest place to start is with a buying opportunity, because Washington still needs pitching. The Angels, despite the wreckage of their season, have arms that could interest the Nats if they decide to add rather than subtract. The biggest names are Jose Soriano and Reid Detmers, and a report says the Angels are expected to make both available at the deadline after previously shutting down trade interest.
That matters because both pitchers come with two years of control after this season, which lines up neatly with CJ Abrams. If the Nationals are serious about keeping Abrams around, the next step is obvious: keep building a team around him and the rest of the young offensive core.
Soriano would bring power. The 27-year-old right-hander has faded a bit after a huge start, but he still owns a 3.49 ERA across 111 innings with 115 strikeouts. There’s still a sense that more is in there.
Detmers is a different kind of target, but just as appealing. His 4.16 ERA doesn’t jump off the page, yet his FIP is nearly a full run lower, and the left-hander has the kind of swing-and-miss stuff teams chase at the deadline. Either pitcher would cost Washington at least one top-100 prospect, plus more.
The Angels could also offer bullpen help. Kirby Yates would be the short-term, lower-cost route.
He’s 39, but he’s been effective with a 3.74 ERA and 3.24 FIP, powered by a fastball-splitter mix that still plays. With more than 100 career saves, he’d give Paul Toboni a credible veteran closer-type without forcing the Nationals to empty the cupboard.
Then there are the younger relievers: Sam Bachman, Chase Silseth and Ryan Zeferjahn. All three have big stuff and shaky command, which is exactly why they’re interesting.
They’d upgrade the bullpen and add the kind of swing-and-miss Washington needs, even if the price would require prospect capital. Still, it wouldn’t have to come from the Nationals’ top 5-7 prospects.
On the selling side, Luis Garcia has been at the center of a lot of recent buzz, and the Red Sox keep coming up. That makes sense given Paul Toboni’s ties to Boston, and it’s already a place where Washington has done business once before, with the Luis Perales-for-Jake Bennett trade. That deal hasn’t aged well so far, but it doesn’t necessarily rule out another match.
A mock trade from Paul Cubbage sent Garcia to Boston and brought two young arms back to Washington. One name that stands out is Kyson Witherspoon.
He hasn’t had a strong first pro season, but the stuff is loud, and he was Toboni’s last first-round pick in Boston. Witherspoon’s fastball sits in the mid to upper 90s, and he has the ability to mix in a lot of different pitches.
Rivera also looks like an intriguing relief option.
CJ Abrams would be a more surprising trade chip, but Boston would make sense for him too. The Red Sox need help in the middle infield, and Abrams could fit at shortstop or second base.
That feels more like an offseason conversation, though. Boston’s farm system is loaded, and the club also has several young big-league pitchers it could put on the table.
The Cubs are another team to watch, especially if the Nationals move Foster Griffin. Chicago should be looking for pitching, and Washington has already seen how a rental starter deal with the Cubs can pay off. The Michael Soroka trade brought back Ronny Cruz, who has made a real name for himself this year.
Griffin would be a much bigger get than Soroka, so the return should be substantial. Possible targets include pitchers Jaxon Wiggins, Kaleb Wing, Brooks Caple and Mason McGuire, along with catcher Owen Ayers. A package built from some combination of those names could make plenty of sense.
Chicago could also have interest in Luis Garcia Jr. as a DH option. The Cubs have been cycling through different looks there after Moises Ballesteros didn’t lock down the job. Michael Conforto and Pedro Ramirez are still in the mix, but Garcia is at least a fit worth watching.
If there’s one team that feels like the best match for Garcia, though, it’s Cleveland. The Guardians have gotten almost nothing from first base and DH. Kyle Manzardo and Rhys Hoskins both have negative WAR, Hoskins is hitting just .177, and Manzardo is at .208 with an OPS below .650.
That’s not enough for a club with playoff hopes, and Garcia would help solve that problem. Cleveland also has the pitching depth Washington would want in return. Braylon Doughty could headline the package, and the Guardians have several young relievers who would interest the Nationals, including Daniel Espino, Franco Aleman and Andrew Walters.
Of the four possible partners, Cleveland feels like the best fit for Garcia. But all four clubs - the Angels, Red Sox, Cubs and Guardians - look like teams the Nationals could end up doing business with before the deadline hits.
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