Latest Intel Suggest Nationals 'Are Listening' to Offers on Top Veterans
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Right now, it's not clear what is going to take place across the league when it comes to the upcoming trade deadline, and the Washington Nationals are a key figure in that mystery.
Coming into the year, nobody expected them to be in the mix for a playoff spot, and that has complicated things when it comes to their initial plan to further their rebuild by trading away some of their best assets. But because some of their players are in the midst of career-best seasons, other teams around the league would love to get their hands on them, and that could result in lucrative offers being made to the Nationals.
Knowing that, Washington is reportedly listening to some proposals being sent their way.
Nationals Gauging the Market for Some of Their Players
According to Buster Olney of ESPN, the Nationals are one of the teams that "are listening" to offers on some of their top veteran players. ESPN insider Jeff Passan also concurred with that statement, as he added that Washington is "worth keeping an eye on" when it comes to trading away players.
Neither Olney nor Passan provided some names about who the Nationals might be interested in parting ways with. However, it was previously reported that Luis Garcia Jr. is someone who is starting to get the attention of contenders around the majors. He's in the midst of his best MLB season, and he could be a target for teams wanting a left-handed power-hitting first baseman who can also play second base when needed.
Similarly, left-handed pitcher Foster Griffin is someone to monitor. He's been unbelievable in his first year back in Major League Baseball after spending three seasons in Japan. And because he's set to become a free agent after the year, the Nationals could choose to flip him for assets instead of risking losing him for nothing on the open market.
Two other names to note are infielder Curtis Mead and outfielder Jacob Young. Right-handed bats are going to be a hot commodity ahead of the deadline based on the scarcity of those types of players being available to acquire. And with Mead putting together his career-best season at the plate while Young has showcased an ability to hit the ball over the fence to go along with his elite defense, those two could also be of interest to contenders.
Again, it's not clear exactly what direction Washington is going to take. They are seen as a team that could both buy and sell, with the idea being to add long-term assets while also helping this current group push for the playoffs.
Whatever happens, though, it sounds like Nationals fans should expect the team to be busy before this year's trade deadline is over.
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Brad Wakai graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Journalism. While an undergrad, he worked at the student radio station covering different Penn State athletic programs like football, basketball, volleyball, soccer and other sports. Brad became the Lead Contributor for Nittany Lions Wire of Gannett Media where he continued to cover Penn State athletics. Currently, Brad is the Publisher for Washington Nationals On SI and covers multiple teams across the On SI network. He is the host of the sports podcast I Said What I Said, where he and his co-host discuss topics across the NFL, College Football, the NBA and other sports. You can follow him on Twitter: @bwakai