4 Non-CJ Abrams Players Nationals Could Deal Ahead of Trade Deadline

The Washington Nationals got a much-needed day off on Thursday following their historic collapse in the finale against the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday.

The players talked about flushing that loss from their system, and they'll need to focus on the task ahead since they have a key stretch to close out the month of June that could determine if they are in the playoff hunt during the summer before the trade deadline.

As of now, everyone around Major League Baseball expects the Nationals to sell. New president of baseball operations Paul Toboni wants to build the best farm system in the sport since he believes that's how they'll become a force to reckon with in the future. However, despite the fact that CJ Abrams would generate the greatest return for Washington, there's a chance they decide to hold onto their star shortstop.

If that's the case, they'll have to ship out some of their other attractive assets to get back pieces for the future. So with that in mind, these are four players who could get dealt.

Foster Griffin

The most obvious trade candidate is Foster Griffin. The left-hander, who returned to the majors on a one-year deal after spending the last three seasons in Japan playing for the Yomiuri Giants of Nippon Professional Baseball, has been spectacular since coming back stateside.

Griffin owns a 3.46 ERA across 14 starts that puts him tied for No. 26 in the MLB amongst starters and No. 5 amongst left-handed starters. He's struck out 74 batters across 78 innings with 21 walks. His ERA+ is also 19 points above the league average mark of 100, and despite the fact his expected ERA is a bit higher than his actual number at 4.32, his expected FIP is 3.79 while his actual FIP is 4.75.

All of that could make Griffin an attractive trade target for contending teams around the league if he continues that form ahead of the Aug. 3 deadline. And because he's going to be a free agent after the season, Washington would be wise to get what they can out of their marquee offseason signing.

Zack Littell

It felt like Zack Littell and the Nationals were linked throughout the winter. But when nothing got done, it seemed like a deal between the two sides wasn't going to happen. However, he remained unsigned into the spring, and that's when Washington pounced by inking him to a one-year, $7 million contract for the 2026 campaign that included a mutual option for 2027.

Early on, it appeared like the decision to sign Littell was a disastrous one. Through the month of April, he had an ERA of 7.85 and was getting crushed for home runs every outing. There was real concern that an unthinkable DFA might have to happen if the veteran didn't turn things around.

But Littell has now settled into the season. He was great in May with a 2.35 ERA across six outings (three starts), and he now sits with an ERA of 4.76 on the year. The right-hander was shipped to the Cincinnati Reds last season ahead of the trade deadline by the Tampa Bay Rays, and he likely will draw interest from contenders around the league once again based on his ability to start and come out of the bullpen.

Luis Garcia Jr.

Once upon a time, it seemed like Luis Garcia Jr. might be the long-term second baseman for the Nationals. He had a breakout season in 2024 when he bashed 18 home runs with 70 RBIs and an OPS+ of 114. But following a disappointing showing in 2025 when his OPS+ dropped to 96 and his defense was a disaster, there were questions if he would even be around this year based on the new regime coming in. Washington held onto him, though. And after converting him to first base, they are now reaping the benefits of that decision.

Garcia is slashing .264/.290/.466 with eight homers, 41 RBIs and an OPS+ of 111 through 63 games. He started heating up in May, and that carried over into June, as he hit seven of his eight longballs in those two months.

The 26-year-old has one more season of club control remaining before he becomes a free agent. While it's been great to see Garcia put together a bounce-back performance at the plate so far this campaign, he doesn't seem to be in the team's long-term plans. So if he continues to hit the ball well ahead of the trade deadline, then the Nationals might be able to get back a nice return from a team looking for a young, left-handed power hitter.

Keibert Ruiz

Perhaps the best story of the 2026 season for Washington has been the turnaround by Keibert Ruiz. The 27-year-old has never lived up the billing of being a high-end prospect after he was acquired as part of the return package for Max Scherzer and Trea Turner, and it seemed like his tenure in the nation's capital could be ending after the Nationals traded for star catching prospect Harry Ford. However, the runway was open for Ruiz since Ford began the season with Triple-A Rochester, and he has taken full advantage of that situation.

Ruiz has exploded at the plate in 2026. In the month of May, he was the most productive offensive catcher in baseball, and he now owns a .274/.296/.489 slash line with an OPS+ of 119 on the year. Things are also interesting when it comes to the future of that position in Washington. Ford hasn't been a world-beater in Triple-A so far this season, and that is a bit concerning since hitting was supposed to be the best part of his game.

That could cause the Nationals to keep Ruiz as their starter for a bit longer than initially expected if they are spooked by what's going on with Ford. However, this would also be the perfect time for the front office to sell high on Ruiz. And despite his underwhelming history, there could be some teams interested in acquiring a catcher entering his prime who is under affordable team control through the 2032 season.

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