MLBTR's new team-by-team deadline preview series (available to Front Office subscribers) continues with a look at the Nationals, who are on pace for their sixth consecutive losing season. The Nats were hanging in there with a 28-30 record at May's end, but an 11-game losing streak led to a brutal 7-19 record in June, all but officially ending Washington's hopes of an end to its lengthy rebuild process. While the team's few cornerstone players are breaking out, pretty much the rest of the roster has underachieved, leaving president of baseball operations Mike Rizzo selling once more heading into the July 31 deadline.
Record: 35-50 (0.1% playoff probability, per FanGraphs)
Sell Mode
Impending free agents: Kyle Finnegan, Michael Soroka, Josh Bell, Amed Rosario, Andrew Chafin, Paul DeJong, Derek Law
Finnegan was an All-Star in 2024 and drew attention at last year's trade deadline, though he somewhat surprisingly ended up staying put. It could be that the Nationals had too high an asking price, or teams had doubts about Finnegan's shaky advanced metrics, or perhaps a combination of both factors ended up keeping Finnegan in the District for the remainder of 2024. As it happened, Finnegan's performance went south in the second half, and the Nats cut him last winter by non-tendering the reliever instead of a projected $8.6MM arbitration salary. However, the club shaved some cash off that number by then re-signing Finnegan to a one-year, $6MM deal (with $4MM in deferrals).
Now in his sixth season in D.C., Finnegan has again been pretty solid at the back of the Nats' pen, securing 18 of 23 save opportunities and posting a 2.61 ERA over 31 innings. Finnegan doesn't fit the typical closer model with his below-average strikeout rates, and while his 96.1mph fastball velocity this season is still impressive, it is also notably slower than his 97.2mph average velo from 2024. On the plus side, Finnegan's hard-hit ball rate is a strong 37.1% --- a massive turn-around considering few pitchers in the entire sport allowed more hard contact than he did over the 2022-24 seasons.
Washington will surely get more calls about Finnegan this July, and the Nationals may feel more compelled to swing a deal with him just a few months removed from free agency. It isn't a reach to view Finnegan as a fit on almost any roster, given his low remaining salary, how many contenders need bullpen help, and his experience in high-leverage situations. The Cubs reportedly had interest in Finnegan this past winter and the Yankees, Phillies, and Dodgers were all linked to Finnegan's market prior to last season's trade deadline, so these teams in particular stand out as potential candidates.
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This organization is a joke. Abysmal player development since the early 2010s and zero progress at the major league level. Worst bullpen, worst catching situation, one of the worst rotations in the sport. Abrams is a star, Gore is an ace, and Wood is a generational talent. The Nats have failed to build around them and the entire coaching staff and front office needs to go
Their rebuild has been going fine so far but eventually they have to stop trading their players at some point.
“This organization is a joke..Abysmal player development”..So, Trea Turner, C.J Abrahms, Jordan Zimmerman, Drew Storen, Steven Strasburg, Ian Desmond, Anthony Rendon, Bryce Harper, James Wood, Ryan Zimmerman, Juan Soto and Mackenzie Gore don’t count?
All these guys were drafted and developed by the Washington Nats and went onto notable careers. And you do realize they won a World Series well after the 2010’s, right?
I wouldn’t count Gore or Abrams (both were in the majors). A chunk of Turner’s development was in SD. Strasburg was major league ready when he arrived. I will give you some of the others. Player development has not been a hallmark of this organization. Green is already a bust, as an example. Jury is out on Crews, House and Cavalli(anything you get from him is gravy), but the early returns are…eh.
Turner, Abrams, Gore, and Wood were not drafted by Washington. Neither was Soto(international signing), but he was developed, brief as it was, by Washington. I get that we are splitting hairs, though.
International signings count as international scouting/development.
They seem to do a good job at acquiring players and mostly good at developing them, but the results still aren’t there. About time to start supplementing these guys with a star player two or honestly just spend money on their horrific bullpen. They are the rare team that is worse than the sum of their parts. Which sucks because Rizzo is one of my favorite gm’s.
Rizzo is at minimum a competent GM. His biggest weakness is drafting but we can’t deny the fact the 2010 decade was the best in Nats franchise history.
When the Nationals used to spend, the old man was trying to win a World Series before he passed(which they did). The family has not shown evidence that they are willing to, yet.
It’s been one year of Gore Abrams and Wood….chilllll
I enjoy watching Gore-Abrams-Wood-Crews-Hassell-Lile-Lord-Henry-and House play this year…
Any team that rates Robles higher than Soto has an issue. Drew has been a dud for a number 2 round one pick.