Post-All-Star break, the Washington Nationals find themselves in a precarious place: do they buy or sell ahead of the Aug. 3 trade deadline?
At 50-50 on the season, the Nationals sit eight games behind the Atlanta Braves for the lead in the National League East and are two games out of the final Wild Card spot in the National League. Being a year ahead of schedule and having a few of their players performing well, first-year president of baseball operations Paul Tobani will need to capitalize on those successes to put the Nationals further on the winning track.
The Nationals have two players worth trading: CJ Abrams and Foster Griffin
Outside of their All-Star right fielder James Wood, who is not available, shortstop CJ Abrams and left-hander Foster Griffin have been two of the Nationals’ most consistent players. Both were named to the National League All-Star team along with Wood — Abrams made his second appearance in his five-year career, while Griffin was a first-timer after spending the past three seasons over in the NPB (Japan).
Showing signs that his bat would break out in the past few seasons, Abrams is having a career year, seeing highs in batting average (.277), OPS (.869, 11th in the NL), home runs (21, tied for seventh in the NL) and is five walks away from surpassing his career-high of 40.
Griffin, on the other hand, has reinvented himself and has shown he’s one of the better pitchers in the National League this season. Still considered a rookie, Griffin is not only placing himself in consideration to receive Cy Young votes, but also for the Rookie of the Year award.
Among all qualified rookies, Griffin is the NL’s leader in wins (11, tied for second among non-rookies), with a 2.68 ERA that is tied for seventh (best among rookies) and has the fourth-best WHIP (1.03, best among rookies).
According to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand, the next 10 days could show whether Tobani and the Nationals will sell Griffin or Abrams.
“The Nationals are in a tricky spot;[…]being a seller would be a bad sign to both the players in the clubhouse and the fan base,” wrote Feinsand. “But first-year president of baseball operations Paul Toboni is also thinking long-term, and given the seasons both Abrams and Griffin are having, both would generate great interest if they were made available. How Washington plays over the next 10 days could be the deciding factor in the way Toboni approaches the Deadline.”
The Nationals could do addition by subtraction
Given the seasons both Abrams and Griffin are having, the Nationals could expect a decent haul of prospects or big-league-ready talent back. Abrams is signed through the 2028 season, while Griffin will be a free agent after this season and appears set to receive a long-term deal in the offseason.
With a potential work stoppage looming, the Nationals need to capitalize on what could be the final year of their rebuild. Needing to rebuild their bullpen (28th in ERA, 5.17), the starting rotation (22nd in ERA, 4.46) and adding another bat to complement Wood, this trade deadline won’t make the Nationals a playoff team overnight.