Insider Believes Nationals Should Trade This Starting Pitcher at Deadline
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It has once again been a disastrous season for the Washington Nationals, who are well under .500 and seemingly not taking any major steps forward.
Coming into the year, the Nationals were expected to be a team that was going to take a step forward in the win column. Washington has won 71 games in each of the past two campaigns, and that was a number the franchise wanted to see more of.
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Unfortunately, it has been more of the same for the Nationals. This is a team that is well under .500 after the first half of the season, and they will certainly be sellers at the trade deadline.
Washington doesn’t have a ton of potential trade chips to help restock their farm system, but a few players should be dealt. While closer Kyle Finnegan will likely be their top trade chip, they have another appealing pitcher who might garner some attention.
David Schoenfield of ESPN recently wrote about Nationals pitcher Michael Soroka being the one player that they should trade this summer.
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“Soroka might be the most enticing to other teams. He has been starting for the Nationals, and his 4.70 ERA in 11 games doesn't impress, but he ranks in the 76th percentile in strikeout rate and 79th percentile in walk rate while holding batters to a .210 average," he wrote.
Soroka was a free agent signing by Washington this winter, with the team taking a chance on him to return to All-Star form as a starter.
The right-hander made just one start at the end of March before heading to the injured list for about a month, but when he returned in May, he pitched quite well. In five starts, he totaled a 3.49 ERA and struck out 36 batters in 28.1 innings pitched.
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It was a solid performance from the right-hander in May, but he has been prone to some blow up starts that have hurt his overall numbers. In 12 starts he has totaled a 5.40 ERA, but his ability to make batters swing and miss has been helpful.
Even though he isn’t a front-end starter, he could be a target for contenders looking to add some depth at the end of their rotation.
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Furthermore, which could make him even more appealing was his recent stint in the bullpen with the Chicago White Sox in 2024. If Soroka is willing to pitch out of the bullpen, he has shown in 2025 that he can make batters swing and miss, which is a valuable tool for a reliever.
With another year of struggles, the Nationals will certainly be sellers and Soroka is going to be a name to watch.
For more Nationals news, head over to Nationals On SI.
Nick Ziegler is an alumnus of the Connecticut School of Broadcasting. He has been working in sports media covering the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL for nearly a decade with various publications online. With his free time, Nick enjoys being at the Jersey Shore with his wife, daughter, and their golden retriever. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @NickZiegler20.