Nationals Trade Grades: Assessing How Paul Toboni Did During His First Trade Deadline
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There was a lot of anticipation about what the Washington Nationals would do ahead of the trade deadline and who they might ship out of town.
Coming into the season, it seemed like they were destined to be massive sellers. Paul Toboni was hired as the franchise's president of baseball operations with the goal being to get this rebuild back on track. And with multiple players still on the roster that were part of the previous regime's plan, using the trade deadline to bring in pieces that Toboni and his front office want to build around seemed like what was going to take place.
But the Nationals won early. And they kept winning to remain in the playoff hunt all the way until just days before the Aug. 3 deadline when a five-game losing streak made it seem like a selloff could be coming. Ultimately, Washington only made four trades.
Here are the grades I've handed out for the moves that were made.
Curtis Mead Traded for Connelly Early
Grade: A
I love this trade for the Nationals.
Yes, Curtis Mead had a breakout season with 17 home runs, 48 RBIs and an OPS+ of 134 across 87 games with Washington. But this was the first time the former top prospect had really shown that he could play in the big leagues.
Previously, the 25-year-old was largely considered a flop. During the three prior seasons he played in the majors, he was below the league average mark of 100 in OPS+. He had a hard time staying on the field because he provided so little at the plate.
Perhaps, Mead would have continued to star for the Nationals if he hadn't been traded. Something might have been unlocked in his game that tapped into his high ceiling. However, that wasn't a given. And Washington was able to sell high on someone who wasn't on their roster at the start of the year, to bring in a controllable left-handed starting pitcher in Connelly Early, who has been lights out to begin his major league career.
This feels like a no-brainer win for the Nationals. And while my grade of "A" might be high -- that's even without factoring in the unfortunate injury that Mead suffered -- I think Toboni did an excellent job with this trade.
Luis Garcia Jr. Traded for Four Pitchers
Grade: B
Instead of choosing to go down the quality route when searching for a return in the Luis Garcia Jr. deal, Washington opted for the quantity route. That resulted in four pitchers coming back in return, as the Nationals landed two top-30 prospects from the New York Yankees along with an MLB-ready flamethrower and another arm with extensive major league experience.
Truth be told, I like this return for Washington. While none of the four necessarily move the needle on paper, the profiles of Yovanny Cruz, Jack Cebert, Ben Grable and Jake Bird are all interesting, with Cruz being a hard-throwing righty, Cebert and Grable dominating in the minor leagues via strikeouts and Bird sitting well above average in Stuff+ metrics.
The reason why this grade is a "B" is because Garcia might just mash for the Yankees. He already hit a home run in his debut for the team, and the short right field porch New York has in their home stadium could allow for him to put up some eye-popping numbers. Add in the fact that he has another year of club control in the midst of his prime, and the Yankees might look like clear winners in the short term.
However, everything the Nationals did ahead of the trade deadline centered on their future. And if they can get Bird's career back on track while also getting the most out of Cruz, Cebert and Grable, then Washington will have done an excellent job of upgrading their pitching staff with this one trade.
Nationals Clear Space by Shipping Christian Franklin Out of Town
Grade: C
The Nationals decided Christian Franklin was the odd man out when it came to their outfield situation. They traded the former top 30 prospect -- who they acquired ahead of the trade deadline in 2025 -- to the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for minor league right-handed pitcher Joe Glassey.
A "C" was given to this transaction because it didn't do much for me either way. While I think Franklin has some upside due to his hit tool, he wasn't a standout with Triple-A Rochester this season -- .249/.375/.360 slash line, six homers, 17 doubles, two triples and 39 RBIs across 93 games -- which was disappointing considering he's 26 years old and should have been pushing for his MLB debut.
On the other end, Washington brought in Glassey, who was undrafted after four collegiate seasons. While he's had success so far in his career -- 2.17 ERA across 49 minor league outings with 98 strikeouts to 11 walks over 66 1/3 innings pitched -- it's hard to envision that someone with his profile is going to become a difference maker for the Nationals at some point.
Like with the others, this will be a "wait and see" trade. If Glassey can become an impact arm for Washington, that changes the equation. But, for now, this looks like something that won't impact the Nationals one way or another.
Foster Griffin Traded for Four Players
Grade: C
Washington eventually decided to trade their breakout star pitcher Foster Griffin, and they received a package of four players back in return.
The Nationals opted for another quantity over quality approach with this deal, but this was a bit underwhelming considering they only received one top-30 prospect from the Cleveland Guardians -- left-handed pitcher Josh Hartle -- in exchange for a pitcher who was an All-Star and has one of the lowest ERAs in the majors amongst left-handed starters.
I would have preferred to see Toboni and his front office go after some top-tier prospects in exchange for Griffin considering the market for pitchers, even if that meant they only got back one high-profile minor leaguer in this deal.
That doesn't mean Hartle can't turn into one. The 23-year-old has a 3.86 ERA across 19 Double-A starts this season. He could be a factor for Washington in 2027. Left-hander Will Dion is already with the Nationals, so that is an immediate benefit. Kendeglys Virguez -- who was the third pitcher acquired in this trade -- is yet another arm with high strikeout upside. And 22-year-old outfielder Nick Mitchell is an on-base monster, so he could be looked upon favorably in future deals or even become a factor for Washington if he ever develops a power element to his game.
Still, despite the fact that Griffin was a rental and his underlying metrics suggest that some negative regression could be coming in the near future, I was underwhelmed with this return.
Overall Trade Deadline Grade
Grade: B
Overall, I like what Toboni did. There was a clear plan in place when it came to what they were targeting -- young, controllable pitchers -- and they were able to accumulate that in spades.
The only player the Nationals acquired who I think is going to become a cornerstone for this franchise is Early. He has all the makings of being a frontline starter, and his addition was the clear headliner of the 2026 trade deadline for Washington. But outside of him, I think they were able to reshape things in their pitching staff for years to come.
Cruz could become a closer for the Nationals at some point based on the stuff he possesses.
Cebert and Grable have the highest ceilings out of anyone besides Early. And the other pitchers Washington landed at least has given themself the opportunity to make major changes to their relief staff, which is going to be needed after the 2026 season is done.
However, with all that said, I think Toboni could have done more during his first trade deadline in charge as the president of baseball operations. And that's why I landed on an overall grade of "B."
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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