Nationals: 5 players to sell at the MLB Trade Deadline
By Drew Koch
The Washington Nationals will be looking to sell at the MLB trade deadline. Which three Nats players could be on the move?
The Washington Nationals traded Max Scherzer and Trea Turner last summer in an effort to restock their farm system. But, after spending the majority of the 2022 season in the NL East basement, it would appear that the Nats are looking to be sellers at the MLB trade deadline once again.
While several teams would love to make a deal for Nationals’ outfielder Juan Soto, Washington’s GM Mike Rizzo has said that the All-Star is off limits in trade discussions. But the Nationals have several other players that could a new home before Aug. 2.
On The Baseball Insiders podcast, FanSided’s Robert Murray listed the Nats as a team likely to sell at the deadline. Here are a few players they could trade right away:
5. The Nationals could trade Nelson Cruz at the deadline.
One name that we’re bound to hear as the trade deadline approaches is Washington Nationals’ designated hitter Nelson Cruz. While Cruz hasn’t played up to his potential so far in 2022, that career OPS of .868 will be hard for contending teams to ignore.
With the National League adopting the universal DH this season, Cruz’s market will not just be limited to American League clubs. Both contenders in the NL and the AL alike will keep a close eye on Cruz as the summer heats up.
Cruz will soon turn 42 years old and is less than 50 home runs away from 500 for his career. While it’s unlikely that Cruz will reach that benchmark in 2022, there’s still some pop left in that bat.
It’s unlikely that you’d see a team look at Nelson Cruz as a thumper in the middle of the batting order, but maybe a team like the Atlanta Braves or San Francisco Giants who lack a true DH in their lineup would take a flier on Cruz if his numbers steadily improve over the next few weeks.