First off, I do want to state that becoming a buyer at the July 30th trade deadline, a lot of work is still left to be done over the next month or so to be in a good position to justify trading away pieces to add guys who could and should add value to the current squad. Before the fourth game against the Mets on June 20th, the Nationals sit only 0.5 games out of third place held by Atlanta and only 2 games behind second-place Philadelphia with a series against them coming up this week. The wildcard picture is a bit more bleak, sitting 6.5 games out with some really good teams in front of them like the Dodgers, Padres, and Brewers.

If Washington survives the incredible stretch they have that closes out June and gets July started, they can make a case to GM Mike Rizzo and the Lerner family that they do deserve a chance to go for the division and the playoffs even with a limited farm system.

Looking this roster over, it is obvious that the main need are some bats and that comes with improving infield pieces. The outfield is pretty set with Schwarber heating up, Soto being Soto, and Robles being a plus defender in center field. Two positions I have identified that could use an upgrade are second base and the obvious third base position.

First, taking a look at second base, it has been primarily occupied by Josh Harrison and he has done a pretty decent job there this season. But it is still not considered “strong” and when he has to sit out a game, there is usually no Luis Garcia to replace him since he spends the majority of his time in Rochester. Harrison is batting .265, has a .344 OBP, .721 OPS and only four home runs on the season.

Two players that fit a profile for the Nationals of having some control and being fairly cheap are Ryan McMahon from the Rockies and Adam Frazier from the Pirates.

McMahon has had 138 AB as a second baseman this season and has a total average of .257 with a .309 OBP, .819 OPS and 16 HRs on the season. McMahon is not a free agent until 2024 and has an AAV of only $2.4 million for 2021. He will be arbitration eligible in 2022 which could increase his number, but that is next year and the goal is to win now in 2021. Signing McMahon would definitely add some power numbers to a team that is struggling to score runs and have the “big” inning.

The other second baseman identified is Adam Frazier who has had a solid season himself batting .322 with a .387 OBP, .839 OPS with two home runs. The home run number is concerning since it is less than Harrison and way under McMahons number, but one thing that really stands out is the very good OBP and OPS numbers. Frazier is currently tied for the most doubles in the majors with 23 and could be a nice piece to hit in front of the big bats of Turner, Soto, and Schwarber, lengthening the lineup for Washington.

The other position that I see as a need for Washington is third base. Carter Kieboom was supposed to be the answer in 2020 and performed poorly all season and was given a chance again in the spring of this year and was sent to Triple A instead. Starlin Castro has been the primary guy this season while being spelled occasionally by Jordy Mercer. Castro has been a good defender this season at third, but the Nationals as a whole have been excellent behind their pitchers. The issue is offense for Castro, just like some of the others. He has only batted .236, .287 OBP, and has a .600 OPS with only four home runs. Those are not starting third baseman caliber offensive numbers in my mind.

One familiar target is here again with Ryan McMahon also being a target at third base. The player fits my profile for a trade and has 111 AB as the Rockies third baseman this season and is hitting .306 while slotted in that spot. One complaint I do have with McMahon are his road numbers away from Coors Field. He is only hitting .224 on the road and you have to wonder if he can be as consistent at a different home park. But he does add power and fills a spot of need for this club.

The other third baseman that fits is Kyle Seager from Seattle. It is known that his production has dipped over the last three or four seasons, but he is still an option. He has hit only .220 this season with a .282 OBP, .711 OPS, and 13 HRs this year. These are similar or better numbers than Castro has given us thus far and who knows, maybe a change of scenery could help a player like this. Seager is also under contract through 2021 but does have a club option in 2022. The biggest downside is his price being $14.3 million AAV, so the Nationals would have to find a way to cover that extra cash if they are not interested in crossing over the salary threshold.

At the end of the day, we can only speculate what Rizzo and Co. will do when it comes to the trade deadline, but the team has been on a tear of late and a 3-1 series win over the Mets could be in the cards as well. There is still time to prove to management that this club deserves the pieces to help them push for a division title and a shot in the playoffs, but that time frame is dwindling.