Last night we got our first big piece of Nats related news from the GM Meetings. Spencer Nusbaum reported that Dylan Crews has emerged as a popular trade target around the league. The Nats also seem open to the idea, which makes sense after extending Jacob Young. With that in mind, I came up with three trade proposals that would make sense for the Nats.
Dylan Crews Heads North of the Border:
One team that is on the hunt for outfielders is the Toronto Blue Jays. After reaching the World Series in 2025, the Jays took a big step back last season. A big reason for that was poor production from the outfield. For that reason, they make a lot of sense as a Crews suitor.
My proposal would send Crews to the Blue Jays in exchange for Sean Keys and Ricky Tiedemann. I think this is a trade that makes sense for both sides. For the Jays, they get a high upside outfielder who could platoon with Brett Bateman in center field, while also getting opportunities in the corners. It would also be a fresh start for Crews, who has not lived up to the hype in DC.
Meanwhile, the Nats get two players who could help the club in 2027. Keys is the headlining piece of the package in my opinion. He is a high upside bat who would battle with Abimelec Ortiz for the first base position. In the end, I think Keys would win out.
Ortiz and Keys share a lot of similarities, but Keys is younger and was more productive. Last season, Keys hit .294 with 28 homers and a 1.019 OPS in AA and AAA. The 23 year old was one of the most productive hitters in all of minor league baseball. It was a true breakout for a guy who posted good but not great numbers in High-A last year.
These insane numbers led to Keys seeing some big league action. He appeared in 25 games last year, but hit just .197 with a .570 OPS. Keys has tremendous raw power, and is great at translating it into games. His air pull percentage was over 25% in AAA, which is an elite number. Keys also made contact at an above average clip in the minors, though he did have some strikeout issues in the big leagues.
Like Ortiz, he is a fairly aggressive hitter, and that got exposed in the big leagues. However, it is important to point out that Keys was only in High-A last year. It is not a huge shock that a player so inexperienced had growing pains in the MLB. A Keys and Ortiz competition would be interesting to watch heading into 2027.
The second piece of the package is a pitcher with a lot of pedigree. There was a time where Ricky Tiedemann was easily a top 100 prospect. However, he has suffered a ton of injuries. At this point, he is a reliever, but I think he has the talent to be a good lefty reliever.
He throws from a low slot and has a nasty sweeper, which are traits the Nats covet. However, he also averaged 96 MPH in the big leagues. Tiedemann will never be the front line starter some expected before the injuries, but I think he could be a great lefty reliever. A package of Keys and Tiedemann would be a win-win for the Nats and Jays.
A One for One NL East Swap:
One idea that has been floating around is the Dylan Crews for Andrew Painter swap. This would be the classic case of two teams exchanging former mega-prospects who have not put it all together yet. We all know about the Dylan Crews hype train, but there was also a time where Painter was seen as the Phillies next ace.
After being drafted out of high school, Painter’s first pro season was one for the ages. He posted a 1.56 ERA with 155 strikeouts to just 25 walks in 103.2 innings. The youngster went from Low-A all the way to Double-A, and dominated every step of the way. However, his road has been bumpy since then.
Painter had to undergo Tommy John in 2023, and did not return to the mound until 2025. When he came back, his fastball shape had degraded and hitters punished him. He posted an ERA over 5 in AAA last year. Painter was still throwing hard, but things did not look the same.
Despite those struggles, Painter was given a spot in the Phillies rotation, where his woes continued. He postedan ERA over 7 before getting sent down in June. However, Painter made some adjustments in the minors and came back looking much better. In the second half, Painter pitched to a 3.65 ERA.
The biggest change he made was swapping his splitter for a changeup. That changeup became a dominant pitch for Painter. Batters hit just .153 with a 35.4% whiff rate against the change. His fastball shape also slowly improved in the second half. He was beginning to look like the old Painter.
Honestly, the fact he improved so much makes a trade less likely. Out of all the packages, this is the one I find most unrealistic. While the Phillies need outfield help and the Nats need pitching, I don’t think Dave Dombrowski moves off Painter. They have always loved Painter, and he is finally starting to reward their faith.
A Crews for Painter swap is an interesting idea in theory, and makes some sense for both teams. However, I do not think the Phillies pull the trigger, especially to a team within the division. It is worth making a call though.
Crews Goes to the City of Angels:
As we all know, the Nats need bullpen help and this last swap would be a creative way to do that. My proposal here is to send Dylan Crews to the Angels in exchange for Samy Natera Jr. and Talon Haley. The main prize of this package would be Natera though.
Natera made his MLB debut last season as a 26 year old and excelled. In 28 outings, Natera posted a 3.13 ERA with 48 strikeouts in 31.2 innings. That is a 36.6% strikeout rate, which is insane. Natera does this mostly with one pitch.
Samy Natera Jr. has a special fastball. He throws his heater 80% of the time, but hitters still can’t do anything with it. The fastball has a ton of IVB while averaging 95 MPH. That combination of velocity and movement led to a .209 average against and a 31.3% whiff rate. Those are extraordinary numbers for a pitch with such high usage.
When he did mix in his slider, hitters had no answers. They hit just .148 with a 56.3% whiff rate. Even MLB hitters had to cheat in order to catch up to his fastball. That meant that his slider totally threw hitters into a loop. Natera does not have pinpoint command, but a sub-10% walk rate is more than good enough for a pitcher with such nasty stuff.
If Natera became a National, he would be the closer and the team’s best reliever. While trading Dylan Crews for a reliever would be risky, I think Natera is the right kind of arm to make it work. He did end the season on the IL with forearm tightness, but there was no structural damage.
Due to that injury and the fact he is a reliever, I decided to throw in Talon Haley as a sweetener. Haley is a 20 year old lefty, who is the Angels 15th ranked prospect. He struck out 121 batters in 87.2 innings, but also had 51 walks. With a low to mid-90’s fastball and a strong feel to spin, Haley has some intriguing traits, but he is many years away.
I think all of these packages would get Paul Toboni’s attention. After the Jacob Young extension and this report, I think there is a strong possibility we see a Dylan Crews trade. What do you think the Nats should target in a return and which team would be the best fit?
