The Nationals traded 6 players at the 2025 MLB trade deadline, receiving 10 prospects in return. They also released Nathaniel Lowe after the deadline, who has since found a new home for himself in Boston. Let’s take a look and see how our old friends are performing in their new homes, as some prepare for their first taste of playoff baseball.
Kyle Finnegan (Detroit Tigers)
The first thing the Tigers did after acquiring him was tweak his pitch usage, cutting down on the usage of his fastball and opting
to have him throw more splitters. The results have improved remarkably since, as through 14 1/3 innings for the Tigers, Finnegan is yet to allow a run, striking out 11.9 batters per 9 innings as compared to 7.4 as a Nat in 2025. Everything has been clicking for Finny since leaving DC, seeing improvements to his command, stuff, and performance. His season was put on hold in early September with a groin injury, but he has just recently begun a rehab assignment and should be back to closing games for the Tigers soon in preparation for his first-ever postseason.
Alex Call (Los Angeles Dodgers)
With Robert Hassell III and Daylen Lile making their big league debuts in 2025, it was clear Call’s role with the Nats would be rapidly shrinking, and Mike DeBartolo made the right call in shipping him away, receiving 2 pitching prospects from the Dodgers in return for his services. Call has taken on a platoon/pinch hitter role for the Dodgers as they make their push for another NL West title and a playoff bye, and he’s performed admirably, posting a 101 OPS+ over 31 games and 76 at-bats.
While the sample size of at-bats is still too small to draw any meaningful conclusions from, it seems the Dodgers have Call leaning more into his power side, as he has already almost matched his 2025 Nats home run total as a Dodger in roughly 1/3 of the at-bats. The tradeoff for that has been a decrease in OBP from .371 as a Nat to .333 as a Dodger, as well as a similar SLG, as he has taken a step back in the doubles and triples departments. I, for one, am very excited for Alex Call to get his first taste of playoff baseball this October, as he seems like the prime candidate to pinch-hit in some high-leverage situations versus lefties.
Nathaniel Lowe (Boston Red Sox)
While not a trade deadline subtraction, I included Lowe because I’m sure fans would be curious to know how he’s been performing since leaving DC, and the answer is very well, because of course it is. In 25 games for the Red Sox, Lowe has posted a 118 OPS+ and 0.4 bWAR, a marked improvement from his -0.3 bWAR and 88 OPS+ in 119 games as a National. All it took was a simple adjustment to his swing, adjusting where he stood in the batter’s box, and approach, focusing less on power and more on getting on base, to get him back to his old self, a frustrating sight for Nationals fans after months of underperformance in DC with no changes. Barring a collapse in the Wild Card standings by Boston, Lowe will get his first taste of playoff baseball since he won it all in 2023 as a member of the Texas Rangers.
Amed Rosario (New York Yankees)
Rosario has only played in 13 games since joining the Bronx Bombers, but he’s been very impactful when he has played, posting a 0.3 bWAR and 185 OPS+. He’s played all over the diamond for the Yankees, primarily playing third base but spending time at second base and in right field as well. While it’s only across 59 games and 183 at-bats, Rosario is quietly having one of the best offensive seasons of his career, with his 118 OPS+ as a Nat and Yankee ranking as the best of his career.
Michael Soroka (Chicago Cubs)
Soroka’s time as a Cub almost ended as soon as it began, as he exited his first start in Chicago after just 2 innings with a right shoulder strain. He’s finally made his return to the club, but this time as a reliever, making 2 scoreless relief appearances since his return on September 15th. Soroka could end up being a key piece for the Cubs in the playoffs, as their pitching, which was stretched thin by injuries early in the year and even further when they didn’t go all in for an ace at the deadline, has begun to cave in.
Andrew Chafin (Los Angeles Angels)
Chafin was very productive in the 20 innings he pitched for the Nationals in 2025, posting a 2.70 ERA, and he’s been even better in his time with the Halos, posting a 1.98 ERA across 13 2/3 innings. He, like many other Nationals arms that left at the deadline, has run into injury trouble, as he was placed on the 15-day IL with left tricep inflammation on September 12th. Even if Chafin makes a return before season’s end, it’s incredibly unlikely the Angels will be playing postseason baseball this season, making the choice to go out and get 2 35+ year old relief pitchers on expiring deals just as confusing as when they did it.
Luis Garcia (Los Angeles Angels)
As for the other expiring reliever acquired by the Halos, Garcia pitched just 10 innings for the Nats in 2025, posting a 0.90 ERA during that time, and has continued to find success in his new home, with a 2.25 ERA across 16 innings for the Angels. He was even on a 14-inning scoreless streak before being shelled for 3 runs by the Brewers yesterday, earning himself the loss. Garcia will be 39 years old in 2026, but with the way he has pitched so far in 2025, there is no reason to think he won’t be on a big league roster next season.
