Every game not started by Cade Cavalli has just become constant pain and misery. Last night, the team stooped to a low, losing 13-1 against the 52-81 Colorado Rockies. Since the trade deadline, this team lost all the spirit and soul that made them an exciting team to watch in the first half. Was it all worth it? I guess only time will tell.
There have been plenty of ugly defeats recently, but last night takes the cake. They came out flat, uninspired and not ready to play. That is an assessment that
Blake Butera agrees with me on, saying the team “did not play all that hard” last night.
He has been hesitant to call out the team’s effort during this skid, but he had no choice tonight. While the Rockies were hustling and taking the extra base, the Nats were sluggish. The most notable example of that came when a ball fell in the twilight but Andres Chaparro could not score because he was jogging around the bases and Jose Tena almost got thrown out at second because he was ball watching.
The honeymoon period is officially over for this new regime after the way this month has gone. It may have been a smart move on paper to sell, but the fact the team can’t win a single game that isn’t started by Cade Cavalli is making things awkward. Fans are asking if it was all worth it to break up the best offense in the league for decent but not elite pitching prospects.
From a watchability perspective, things have sure taken a massive hit. That is not just due to the loss of talent either. They also just are not playing the same type of hard charging baseball that made them a likable bunch. Losing 13-1 against the Rockies is not a talent related issue, it is an effort problem as well.
You can see when a lot of these hitters get out, they are not even mad anymore, just resigned. In particular, that is something I am seeing with CJ Abrams, who is really going through it right now. He is a player who is at his best when he is feeling good and has something to play for beyond just doing his job. Right now, you can see how discouraged he is.
That is not excusing Abrams’ poor performances, but I get why he is unhappy right now. In the midst of a career year, he was asked to change positions while the team around him was collapsing and he had to carry an even bigger offensive load with James Wood out.
Do I wish Abrams handled this all a little better? Yes I do, but it is a tough situation for him and the rest of the team. Vibes are contagious and so is hitting. Right now the Nats do not have any of that for 80% of the games they play.
It is only 80% because that magic comes back every time Cade Cavalli takes the ball. They have been winning when he starts, but that is the only time they win. The last time the Nats won a non-Cavalli start was August 9th. If you take out the Cavalli starts, the Nats have lost 12 games in a row.
The main feeling I have right now is sadness. To see such a promising season totally go up in smoke is such a shame. It felt like the Nats had a direction for the first time since 2019, but that feeling is gone. Maybe that will come back next season with guys like Ben Grable and Connelly Early leading the way, but for now that trade deadline is leaving a bad taste in Nats fans mouths.
Since the Curtis Mead trade the Nats are 9-21 and since the deadline and the James Wood injury they are 7-15. We knew that there would be a fall-off after losing all this offensive talent, but I did not realize it would be this significant. For me, that shows this collapse is more than just the talent that went out of the building.
It also speaks to a leadership void in the clubhouse. Since Mead, Garcia and Griffin left, nobody has stepped into their shoes on or off the field besides Andres Chaparro. The charisma that Garcia brought and the exceptional baseball knowledge that Mead and Griffin brought are badly missed in the clubhouse right now.
As we enter the final month of games, the Nats are a team that is trying to pick up the pieces of what once was a promising season. It feels like we are back to square one where the team is trying to find an identity and there are no signs of contention in sight. Just a month ago, this team did have an identity and a core of offensive pieces, but that has been broken up.
In the short term, the impact has been disastrous. However, these moves were made with a long term vision in mind. Paul Toboni better be right about these moves being fruitful in the long term because this is ugly. I still have belief in this regime but the honeymoon period is over. They need to win back a weary fanbase and show that this team can become relevant again in 2027 and beyond.
