Washington Nationals Have Two Potential Trade Candidates When Deadline Hits

The Washington Nationals will most likely be sellers at the trade deadline.

Apr 15, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Washington Nationals relief pitcher Kyle Finnegan (67) pitches against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the ninth inning at PNC Park. | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The Washington Nationals are off to another slow start in 2025. They are 9-13 heading into Tuesday, putting them in a tie for last place in the NL East division.

The Nationals may be struggling, but there are some bright spots within their team.

One of the biggest is their closer, Kyle Finnegan.

The right-hander is coming off an All-Star campaign with Washington. He had a 3.68 ERA in 63.2 innings pitched. To go along with that, Finnegan struck out 60 batters and allowed opponents to hit .249 off him. These stats helped him finish with 38 saves.

Despite the All-Star season, Washington did not re-sign its closer until late in the offseason. But, bringing him back is turning out to be a good decision.

This year, the 33-year-old has thrown 9.2 innings, allowed just seven hits, struck out 12 batters and he has an ERA under 2.00. More impressively, he is 8-for-8 in save opportunities.

Finnegan is a big reason for the Nationals having nine wins this season. However, he might not be in D.C. for long.

David Schoenfield of ESPN (ESPN+ subscription required) took a look at players on each team that could be on the trade block this season. Finnegan and Josh Bell are the two players for Washington that could be dealt at the deadline.

Finnegan is on a one-year deal, so it is not surprising that his name is being thrown around in trade ideas. Washington's return for the former sixth-round pick is the only question mark.

It is going to come down to which team is in need of someone to shut down the game in the late innings.

In 2023, the eventual World Series Champion Texas Rangers traded for an aged Aroldis Chapman. The Kansas City Royals were able to get their ace, Cole Ragans, in that deal. The Rangers might be a potential trade partner when it comes to Finnegan this year, which could give the Nationals a pretty good return.

Josh Bell is a different story.

Bell is in his second stint with Washington, but it is not going well. The switch-hitting first baseman is slashing .141//265/.296 in 20 games played. He has walked 11 times while hitting three home runs, but the production he has shown in the past is not there this season.

The reason Bell is a trade candidate is because of his ability to hit from both sides of the plate. He has also been traded three years in a row. In the past two years, the 32-year-old has played a lot better for the team he has been traded to.

With his stats early on this year, though, there are not going to be many teams that want Bell. If he picks it up there is a chance for him, but right now there are not any contending teams that want to take a chance on him.

If the Nationals continue to go down the path of another losing season, Finnegan and Bell could be the first players to be moved.