Nationals Trade Luis Garcia Jr. to Yankees, Get Four Pitchers Back in Return

The Washington Nationals have traded Luis Garcia Jr.

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

With the Washington Nationals sitting 2.5 games out of the final NL wild card spot entering Sunday's contest, it seemed like the front office would be more willing to sell off some pieces to bolster their organization for the future.

And according to Joel Sherman of The New York Post, they did exactly that.

Ahead of Sunday's finale against the Atlanta Braves, the Nationals scratched Luis Garcia Jr. from the lineup. That's because Washington decided to trade the breakout slugger to the New York Yankees following the game. Spencer Nusbaum of The Athletic later reported that Washington will receive four pitchers in return: right-handed pitching prospects Jack Cebert and Ben Grable -- Nos. 14 and 25 in the Yankees' pipeline, respectively -- and right-handed pitchers Yovanny Cruz and Jake Bird, who both have major league experience.

This comes after it was reported that president of baseball operations Paul Toboni was no longer listening to offers on Garcia. However, with things subject to change before the Aug. 3 deadline, the first-year executive seems to have prioritized building for the long-term instead of pushing for the postseason this year.

Nationals Lose Significant Player in Their Lineup

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

There's no sugarcoating that this is a substantial loss for the Nationals. Garcia is in the midst of a resurgent season at the plate, with career-highs in home runs (23), RBIs (76), OPS+ (136) and bWAR (2.2). He also leads the National League in slugging percentage (.560) at the time of writing, and he's hitting the ball hard at the highest rate of his career.

Losing him will leave a huge hole in Washington's lineup that will be hard to replicate, as his wRC+ of 134 is third-best on the team. That was the same as Curtis Mead's wRC+ figure, who was previously shipped out of town by the Nationals in a trade with the Boston Red Sox that netted Washington 24-year-old left-handed pitcher Connelly Early, who is a rising star.

Simply put, this move signals that the Nationals are content with punting on the rest of the season. While Toboni and his front office might be targeting some win-now upgrades in their bullpen, not having Garcia on the team going forward is going to hurt what has been the league-best offense. That doesn't mean they can't make the playoffs, but with an opportunity to take advantage of the seller's market ahead of this year's trade deadline, Toboni didn't waste that chance.

What's Next for the Nationals at First Base

Washington Nationals prospect Abimelec Ortiz | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Now, with Garcia getting set to suit up for another team, the runway is clear for Abimelec Ortiz. Ranked No. 23 in Washington's pipeline, he was acquired over the winter as a key piece of the MacKenzie Gore return package.

The lefty slugger also impressed during his major league debut earlier this season when he went 1-for-2 with a double. And after he has slashed .244/.348/.497 with 18 homers, 25 doubles and 74 RBIs through 85 games down in Triple-A, the 24-year-old is now poised to become this franchise's long-term first baseman.

Keep an eye on Yohandy Morales -- the team's No. 26-ranked prospect -- to make his MLB debut later this season at some point, too. He's been mashing with Rochester -- .294/.369/.539 slash line with 21 home runs and 62 RBIs across 84 games -- so it would be wise for the Nationals to see what he can do at the big league level.