Since the Washington Nationals began their rebuild back in 2021, we have seen the team give plenty of opportunities to guys that weren't worth the headache. Whether it be guys like Maikel Franco, Travis Blankenhorn, or Dominic Smith, the caliber of players that have donned the Curly W logo on their hat over the last few years has been pretty brutal.
Of course, that rebuild has seen several long-term building blocks come along such as MacKenzie Gore, James Wood, Dylan Crews, and CJ Abrams, but there are also a handful of players that are sort of stuck in-between as far as the timeline goes for the club. If the team decides to spend major money this offseason to help supplement some of those aforementioned building blocks, it could leave some players in a difficult position regarding their future on the club.
While there are numerous players on 1-year deals that are likely to be traded at the deadline including Michael Soroka, Kyle Finnegan, and others, what if the Nationals look to trade a couple of guys remaining that still have control? Let's take a look at a pair of players that could surprising trade chips this summer.
Nathaniel Lowe
This one feels like it could potentially happen, as Nationals first baseman Nathaniel Lowe has really struggled so far in 2025. After getting off to a hot start and looking every bit as good as advertised after coming over from the Texas Rangers in December, Lowe has cooled off dramatically in what is shaping up to be the worst season of his career.
After being lauded for his on-base skills, Lowe has just a .295 OBP this season, well below his .359 mark he posted across 4 seasons with the Rangers. Additionally, he is striking out a lot more, as he is currently striking out an an almost 27% mark, which is not what was expected when he was acquired.
Despite being 2nd on the Nationals in RBIs, his power has fallen off a cliff as well, as it has now been almost a month since he last left the yard. His defense has been subpar, and defintely not what was expected of him as a former Gold Glove winner at first base.
The Nationals could look to deal him now, as he is shaping up to be a non-tender candidate this offseason. As the highest-paid player on the team and a guy that was supposed to be a key cog in this lineup, his .668 OPS and -0.1 WAR is unacceptable. Hopefully the Nationals will be able to learn from the Kyle Finnegan debacle of last season, when they chose not to trade him before non-tendering him, and can find a trade partner for the struggling first baseman.
Luis Garcia Jr.
This one is likely to come as a bit of a surprise, but in reality, maybe it shouldn't be one. After finally breaking out in 2024, finishing as a finalist for the Silver Slugger Award at second base in the NL, 2025 has been a bit of a step back for Luis Garcia Jr. While there are still positive signs to point to when it comes to the 25-year-old's hitting ability, his abysmal defense might leave him without a long-term position.
Over the last few weeks, Garcia Jr. has seen some positive regression after being one of the unluckiest hitters in all of baseball, and the hitting metrics back that up. He is in the 96th-percentile for xBA, or expected batting average, which suggests he should be at a .311 clip, much higher than his current .259 mark. While the hitting hasn't been a major concern, besides his 38.4% chase rate, which might be more of an issue with Darnell Coles, his biggest step back has been on the other side of the ball.
Just how unlucky has Luis Garcia Jr. been for the @Nationals so far?
— Bennett Lehmann (@DCBerk) May 29, 2025
Extremely.
A quick analysis of his Baseball Savant page proves that his 2025 heater might come at any time…🧵⬇️#Natitude pic.twitter.com/3VSgR0ZbyE
However, his defense has regressed dramatically, as he has been one of the worst defensive players in baseball to this point. He has been worth -6 OAA, which is shocking considering in 2024 he was worth 5 OAA, as it seemed like he had finally begun to see his hard work pay off on making defensive improvements. That poor defensive showing has dragged his WAR down to -0.4 on the season, and the Nationals have already shown that they are hesitant to extend him.
Given that he is going into a contract year in 2026, and will be a free agent for the first time in his career, the Nationals might look to trade him now in order to get as much value as possible given that he is not a rental player yet. Garcia Jr. switched agents within the last year in an effort to earn an extension from the Nationals, however, his patience with the team has not yet been rewarded with a long-term deal.
With CJ Abrams possibly headed for a position change at some point in his career over to the keystone, and guys like Seaver King likely headed for the big leagues at some point next season, does Garcia Jr. really have a place on this infield for the future? He doesn't have enough power to be an everyday DH, and he doesn't really fit the profile of an ideal first baseman either. Trading him now would net the Nationals a solid return, and potentially help answer the question of what his long-term fit looks like in the organization.
Do you think the Nationals will look to trade either one of these players? As always, please let me know on X, @DCBerk.