Blockbuster Trade Idea Has Nationals Acquiring Superstar Two-Time Silver Slugger

This would be a monster move by the Washington Nationals.

Washington Nationals manager Blake Butera | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The Washington Nationals entered June 10 with a share of the final NL Wild Card spot.

With a potentially tricky schedule coming up, it will be interesting to see if they can remain in the playoff picture through the month of June. Because if they do, then that will cause their impending trade deadline decisions to be that much more difficult to make.

All signs point to the Nationals being sellers before Aug. 3. Even if they hold onto star shortstop CJ Abrams, there are other pieces on the roster that could potentially net a return for the new front office that is trying to boost this farm system.

But what if Washington shocks the entire baseball world and decides to be on the buying end of a blockbuster trade? If that were to be the case, then Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report thinks they should go after Rafael Devers of the San Francisco Giants.

Nationals Land Rafael Devers in Blockbuster Trade Idea

San Francisco Giants first baseman Rafael Devers | Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

Hypothetical Trade

Nationals Get:
-1B/DH Rafael Devers

Giants Get:
-RHP Luis Perales (#9)
-LHP Alex Clemmey (#12)
-OF Sam Petersen (#23)

If that's all it would take to acquire Devers, who's a three-time All-Star, two-time Silver Slugger winner and has an OPS+ figure above the league average of 100 in every season since 2019, then the Nationals would have to take a hard look at making this deal.

While the shine has come off the 29-year-old a bit since he was shipped to the Giants, this is still someone who was just two seasons removed from being considered one of the best pure hitters in baseball. And while it would certainly be expensive from a financial standpoint to bring in Devers, at some point the Lerners have to open up their checkbook. And Washington would be hard-pressed to find another offensive asset like Devers who they could land for only one top 10 prospect and two top 30 prospects overall.

Still, there are downsides to this deal, as well. And that's why there are both pros and cons listed below when it comes to what would be a massive headliner if the Nationals were to pull the trigger on this trade idea.

Pros of Trading for Rafael Devers

San Francisco Giants first baseman Rafael Devers | D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

The first pro is obvious: he is a superstar talent at the plate.

While his numbers in San Francisco aren't what they were compared to when he was with Boston -- an OPS+ of 113 compared to 128 and an OPS of .759 compared to .859 -- much of that could have to do with the ballpark he's playing in.

Everyone knows Oracle Park is a pitcher's paradise, so if he goes to a place like Nationals Park -- which is one of the most friendly stadiums in baseball for hitters -- then there's a good chance that his production would skyrocket to what it was when he was playing for the Red Sox.

And if that's the case, then this lineup -- which is already the most productive in all of Major League Baseball -- would have the potential to be even better with Devers in it. That would be scary for opposing pitching staffs to navigate, and it just might push Washington into the playoffs for the first time since they won the World Series in 2019.

Cons of Trading for Rafael Devers

San Francisco Giants first baseman Rafael Devers | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

In this scenario, owner Mark Lerner and his ownership group would have the appetite to take on the roughly $200 million contract that Devers is owed through 2033. So that massive hurdle is being taken out of the equation. However, despite that getting moved out of the way, there are still some baseball things that would potentially hurt the Nationals more than it would help them when it comes to this possible trade.

For one, they would be adding another everyday left-handed hitter to their lineup alongside James Wood, CJ Abrams and Daylen Lile. While both Wood and Abrams have been much better against lefties this season, having that many key left-handers in their daily lineup would be difficult to navigate. And considering Wood is already a high-strikeout guy, adding Devers to the mix would create some serious swing-and-miss volume throughout the order.

The other potential con comes from the fact they would be giving up two key pitching prospects in Luis Perales and Alex Clemme. While they haven't been dominant this season so far, the clear holes across Washington's pitching staff make it a bit risky to ship out two top 30 arms when both Travis Sykora and Jarlin Susana are still working their way back from injury.

Bringing in Devers would also block first baseman Abimelec Ortiz, who is a lefty slugger of his own. And if Devers is not playing in the field, he would need to be slotted into the designated hitter spot, which would reduce manager Blake Butera's ability to get his everyday position players off their feet over the course of the long season.

Finally, there were some clubhouse concerns during Devers' time in Boston. And with the Nationals trying to change their culture under this new regime, bringing in someone with his gravitas could prevent that from taking shape. Of course, president of baseball operations Paul Toboni is familiar with Devers from their time together with the Red Sox, so the hope is that he would be able to help push things in a positive direction on that front.

With all of that said, it's clear that acquiring Devers isn't quite the slam dunk that it would suggest on paper despite his immense talent. But since the likelihood that the Lerners would even sign off on something like this is slim to none considering how much money is left on his deal, it likely will remain a trade that is only discussed on paper.