For the fourth consecutive winter, Mike Rizzo and the Nationals filled the holes in the major league roster (well, most of them, anyway) with relatively inexpensive veterans on one-year deals, hoping that later this summer at least one or two of them can be sent off to a contender for mid-range prospects or lottery tickets. In 2021, that strategy brought back Lane Thomas, Riley Adams, Drew Millas, Mason Thompson, and others who are still kicking around in the minor league system. It did not work in 2022, as no one was the least bit interested in noodle-swinging César Hernández or the decomposing Nelson Cruz. In 2023, Jeimer Candelario’s four strong months netted DJ Herz and Kevin Made.
Who might realistically be on the trade block for the Nats this summer? Sure, we’re just a couple of weeks into the season, but there are a number of different ways that Mike Rizzo and his lieutenants can explore. Those routes could depend on whether or not they think the club can truly step forward and at least be a wild card contender in 2025 (which will require the acquisition of at least one if not two starting pitchers better than anyone currently in the organization), or they could depend on how willing Rizzo might be to part with guys who have control beyond the end of this season (if he is, there are several candidates there).
What follows is a list of Nationals on the 40-man roster who could conceivably be dealt, in approximate order of most likely to least likely, which will account for their contracts, age, value to other teams, and perception within the organization. We will check back each month to see if things change at all. Eventually, you might see a couple of non-roster minor leaguers on this list, but it is too early in the season to look at any of them in depth now.
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