3 Potential Deadline Trades For The Washington Nationals

The Nationals are set to be sellers again at the trade deadline in less than 2 weeks, the 5th consecutive year they’ve been one. While they have no stars, such as Trea Turner or Juan Soto that they need to trade, or even high impact rentals, such as Jeimer Candelario or Jesse Winker, they do have a solid quantity of players they are willing to move. According to Bob Nightengale of USA TODAY, the Nationals have made Kyle Finnegan, Josh Bell, Amed Rosario, Mike Soroka, and Nathaniel Lowe available

for trade.

While most of those names should not come as surprises as they’re on expiring deals, Lowe is an intriguing one, as he still is under club control after this season. Lowe has not performed at the Nats would’ve hoped for in his first year in DC, posting a 94 wRC+ and -0.3 fWAR, both career lows. Lowe may be a non-tender candidate this winter if he is not traded and doesn’t turn it around, so it makes sense for the Nationals to at least field offers on him.

So how can the Nationals maximize the trade value of their multiple small trade piece. The best way to do it would be to target clubs that have multiple holes your players address, and package them together in deals. Here, I will provide 3 scenarios that do just that and offer semi-realistic returns for the Nats.

Scenario 1

Red Sox receive: 1B Nathaniel Lowe, Mike Soroka

Nationals receive: RHP Jedixson Paez (BOS #18), RHP Yordanny Monegro (BOS #21)

The name of the game in this package is pitching in this return, specifically pitching that is almost big league ready. Paez lit the minor leagues on fire in 2024, posting a 3.17 FIP in 96.2 innings across 2 levels, all while posting a K/9 over 10 and a BB/9 around 1. He’s a command artist who also has multiple plus secondary pitches. He’s been rehabbing a calf strain for most of 2025 and has only pitched 10.2 innings, making him a potential buy low for the Nats.

Monegro has been carving batters up at Double A this season, posting a 2.31 FIP and K/9 over 13 in 33.2 innings. His slider and curveball are both really good pitches, and his slider has flashed great potential as well. Both Paez and Monegro are starters now but could make impacts in the Nationals bullpen as soon as 2026. In exchange, the Red Sox get the first baseman answer they’ve been desperately searching for in Nathaniel Lowe, and an arm they can use as a starter or move to the bullpen in Mike Soroka.

Scenario 2

Cubs receive: RHP Mike Soroka, RHP Kyle Finnegan

Nationals receive: RHP Jack Neely (CHC #14)

Buy lows don’t get more perfect than this for the Nats, as Neely is a 6’8” hurler who, after being traded to the Cubs for Mark Leiter Jr at the deadline last year, dealed for them before hitting major walk issues in 2025. The strikeouts are still there in 2025, but he’s walking over 8 batters per 9 innings, an impossible line to overcome as a reliever. Still, I’m buying in on Neely being a successful future reliever due to the stuff he possesses, such as his wicked 70 grade slider. The Cubs are in a playoff push, and need arms that can help them now, not in the future, and that’s what Soroka and Finnegan can do for them. In return, the Nats get a shot on a high upside reliever who could contend for their closer spot in 2026 if they can solve the walk problems.

Scenario 3

Rangers receive: RHP Kyle Finnegan, 1B Nathaniel Lowe

Nationals receive: 1B/3B Jake Burger

In this scenario, the Rangers and Nats do a first baseman swap, with Lowe getting to return to the place he won a ring in 2023, and the Rangers getting some extra bullpen help in Kyle Finnegan. In return, the Nats get a first baseman having a down year, but with multiple years of control and a track record of hitting.

Burger hit 63 combined home runs between 2023 and 2024, and came to the Rangers in 2025 in the offseason as their Nathaniel Lowe replacement funny enough. It’s been a rough year for him in 2025 however, as he’s suffered multiple injuries, including a strained quad that he’s currently nursing, and the worst numbers of his year, posting a wRC+ of 81 and only having 11 home runs so far. While the results aren’t the prettiest, the underlying numbers aren’t too frightening, posting very similar barrel rates and chase numbers to his 2023 and 2024 levels. Burger is not a free agent until after the 2029 season, and if they can get his bat going, he’d look like a steal for half a season of Kyle Finnegan and 1.5 year of Nathaniel Lowe.

3 Potential Deadline Trades For The Washington Nationals

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