Major League Baseball’s trade deadline has long been a chance for contenders to shore up their weaknesses and pretenders to pad their farm system with prospects.
Once again, the Washington Nationals found themselves in the NL East cellar and thusly a seller at the deadline.
Last week saw the departures of former All-Star closer Kyle Finnegan, fourth outfielder Alex Call, back end of the rotation starter Michael Soroka, plus spare part relievers Andrew Chafin and Luis Garcia.
MacKenzie Gore and Josh Bell remain in D.C., despite plenty of speculation that they might be heading elsewhere, which makes sense because Gore has two-plus years before he hits free agency and Bell is hitting .226 with 40 RBI.
After the moves and non-moves, the Nats were outscored 38-14 while getting swept by NL Central-leading Milwaukee.
How bad will things get? A finish of 18-33 secures a 100-loss campaign, and the Nats are on a 16-37 downward spiral. They could also be eliminated by Labor Day.
Digesting the Division: First place changed hands three times over the weekend, with Philadelphia (63-48) moving a half-game ahead of the New York Mets (63-49), after taking two of three games against AL Central leading Detroit.
Both teams picked up veteran center fielders at the trade deadline, with the Phillies securing Harrison Bader from Minnesota and the Mets getting Cedric Mullins from Baltimore. Miami (55-55) reached the .500 mark for the first time since April 15, by posting a first-ever sweep of the New York Yankees.
Atlanta (47-63) won two of three games over Cincinnati in the Speedway Series at Bristol Raceway in Tennessee (despite a rainout Saturday), but the Braves are about to be lapped in the race.
Washington (44-67) brings up the rear.
Breaking up the Birds (literally): Anything not nailed down at Camden Yards went elsewhere. The final flurry saw Cedric Mullins, Ryan O’Hearn, Ramon Laureano and Charlie Morton to wrap up a month of change. The O’s still have a young core they can build around, but just like the Nationals, the question is: Will they be able to add the right pieces to complement a group that spent 2024 getting one year closer to free agency?
Diamonds Direct Diamond King: Robert Hassell III was called up Friday and wasted no time making his return work for the club, batting .375 with a homer and four RBI.
Last Week’s Heroes: Daylen Lile hit .320 and led the team with five runs scored and five RBI. Konnor Pilkington posted a win in relief, while Brad Lord struck out eight over 10 innings.
Last Week’s Humbled: Where to begin? The rotation had one rough week as Mitchell Parker coughed up eight runs over four innings, MacKenzie Gore surrendered six runs over 5.1 frames, and Jake Irvin allowed five runs over four innings.
The bullpen wasn’t much better, as Andy Lara served up six runs over 4.2 innings while Zach Brzykcy was roasted for six runs over 2.1 frames. Josh Bell hit .167, Nathaniel Lowe batted .158, James Wood hit .150 with nine strikeouts in 20 at bats and Jacob Young went 1-15 at the plate.
Game to Watch: On Sunday, the Nats wrap up their series in San Francisco, and MacKenzie Gore will be two starts removed from hearing trade talk. The Giants pitch three-time Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander, who is in the middle of the worst season (1-8, 4.53 ERA) of his career.
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