Quick Notes: Washington Nationals move to "sell" according to reports

With the MLB Trade deadline weeks away, the Washington Nationals will likely be sellers, according to reports.

Richard Wachtel

Jul 09, 2024 - 2 min read

With the MLB Trade deadline weeks away, the Washington Nationals will likely be sellers, according to a report by The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, Katie Woo, Patrick Mooney, and Will Sammon.

In the article, Rosenthal, Woo, Mooney, and Sammon state that according to their sources, “general manager Mike Rizzo is ready to shift into sell mode" with the deadline just weeks out.

The Nationals have a handful of players who might be on the market, including outfielders Jesse Winker and Lane Thomas and relievers Kyle Finnegan, Dylan Floro, and Hunter Harvey. Another name to keep an eye on is starting pitcher Trevor Williams; however, he remains on the IL 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. It will be interesting, to say the least, to see what prospects or players the Nationals are looking for in return if these players are moved at the trade deadline.

Besides CJ Abrams (who will be the sole Nationals representative as of now for this year’s All-Star game), outfielder Jesse Winker has been Washington's most valuable position player so far this season. The 30-year-old has been thriving as a designated hitter, batting .268 with 10 home runs, 41 RBI, 12 stolen bases, a .818 OPS, and a 2.2 WAR.

Winker was once an All-Star with the Cincinnati Reds, batting .288 with a .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.