How Nationals Perform in This Diamondbacks Series Could Impact Their Deadline Plans

As of July 24, there are 11 days before the Aug. 3 trade deadline arrives, which means the Washington Nationals have 10 games to convince the front office to buy instead of sell.

The first step towards tilting things to the buying end of the spectrum is having a successful weekend series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Nationals sit two games out of the final wild card spot. The Diamondbacks currently occupy that position. So taking two out of three or even sweeping this set could have Washington back into a playoff position.

On the other end, having a poor showing might result in some pieces getting shipped out of town, especially when looking ahead at who the Nationals play -- the Toronto Blue Jays and Atlanta Braves
-- before the deadline.

With all of that in mind, here's what could happen to Washington's potential deadline plans depending on the results that take place this weekend.

Sweeping or Winning Two Out of Three

Washington Nationals infielder Luis Garcia Jr. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

A sweep would be a massive outcome for the Nationals. That would put their record at 55-51. They would then leapfrog the Diamondbacks, and depending on how the Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals and Miami Marlins do -- who have records of 53-50, 52-50 and 52-51, respectively -- they could find themselves in sole possession of the third NL wild card spot after the weekend.

That would put even more pressure on the front office to add pieces to help with this group's playoff push, which is not something that president of baseball operations Paul Toboni is against doing.

Winning two out of three would help the cause, but it wouldn't necessarily mean that Washington made up a ton of ground in the playoff standings. They'd have a record of 54-52 in that scenario, which would keep Arizona above them with a record of 55-51. That would increase the pressure on the Nationals to get a result against the Blue Jays and Braves in the upcoming matchups. While that is doable, it doesn't leave a lot of margin for error. And with their odds to make the postseason already slim, this hypothetical result might not swing Toboni one way or the other.

Still, there's no doubt that winning this series is important for Washington if they want to make their case for why the team should finalize trades in their favor. Because the other side of the coin could mean that a massive sell-off is coming.

Getting Swept or Losing Two Out of Three

Washington Nationals pitcher Tom Cosgrove | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Getting swept would be the worst-case scenario for the Nationals. Not only would that put their record at 52-54, but it would also boost the Diamondbacks up to 57-49 and create a five-game gap. Depending on what the Pirates, Cardinals and Marlins do this weekend, there then could be a lot of traffic in front of them if they were to secure the final wild card spot. And with impending matchups against Toronto before heading to Atlanta, getting swept by Arizona would likely put an end to the idea of Washington even threading the needle by buying and selling.

Losing two out of three wouldn't be as extreme when it comes to their outlook, but it still wouldn't be rosy. The Nationals would own a 53-53 record, which would put them three games behind the Diamondbacks at their hypothetical record of 56-50. Overcoming that deficit is possible, but can they do it in the next seven games before the trade deadline arrives?

That's where things get murky, and with a long-term vision in place from the new organization, it's hard to believe they wouldn't cash in on selling high for some of their best assets.

Simply put, this weekend is a big one. Winning their series against Arizona at least leaves the door open for Washington to add some roster upgrades. But losing it almost assuredly would mean that a substantial sale is coming.

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