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Washington Nationals: Five potential waiver trade candidates

By Blake Finney

WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 28: General manager Mike Rizzo of the Washington Nationals talks to the media after a 5-1 victory against the Cincinnati Reds at Nationals Park on September 28, 2015 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 28: General manager Mike Rizzo of the Washington Nationals talks to the media after a 5-1 victory against the Cincinnati Reds at Nationals Park on September 28, 2015 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images) /
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Washington Nationals Devin Mesoraco
NEW YORK, NY – JULY 24: Devin Mesoraco #29 of the New York Mets hits a 2 RBI double in the first inning against the San Diego Padres on July 24, 2018, at Citi Field in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

Devin Mesoraco, C – New York Mets

It was a huge surprise at the trade deadline when the Washington Nationals chose not to improve their catching situation. They could rectify that with a waiver trade with their divisional foes for Devin Mesoraco.

He was the other half of the Matt Harvey trade mentioned earlier in the article. And Mesoraco has also had some level of success after the change of scenery too.

While his batting average is still only at .231, this is with a .246 BABIP so there’s plenty of room for improvement. Even then, none of the Nationals catchers have hit above .217 so far this season.

Not only is he hitting a better in his new home, he’s also managed to find his power stroke in Flushing. His seven home runs with the Mets are more than he had between 2015-17 combined.

It’s not completely out of the realms of possibility that this is sustainable for Mesoraco, remember, he garnered MVP votes in 2014 and was even named to the NL All-Star team.

Mesoraco would be a big upgrade over Spencer Kieboom for the rest of the season, there’s no doubt about that. The question would be whether the Mets would be willing to give him up within the division. If they would be, then it’s something the Nats should definitely inquire about.

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