Four Washington Nationals Who Could Be Traded In 2019
If things do not turn around soon, the Washington Nationals will not be playoff contenders in 2019. Here are three players who could be traded in 2019
As the 2019 Major League Baseball season approaches the month of June, teams start to separate themselves as contenders or pretenders. Since 2012 the Washington Nationals have never been truly out of a playoff race until at the earliest the beginning of September.
This season, Washington reached the month of June with their worst record since 2010, and sit so far out of the division race it seems a postseason appearance is still unlikely despite their recent success. If Washington wants to qualify, a wild card spot seems like the way to go, but currently there are five teams between Washington and the N.L. Wild Card leader.
If this is the case, it opens up a world of questions for the Nationals. If the season does not turn around and continues the way it has the team will likely have a new manager in the 2020 season, but what other changes will the Washington ownership make?
The Nationals have never been true “sellers” at the trade deadline, but that is a reality the team may face for the first time this season. With an underachieving roster filled with talented players at a variety of positions, for the first time ever Washington may have a fire-sale to try to retool their team to contend in 2020.
Now it seems unlikely the Nationals will move some of their bigger pieces, they still seem likely to be active in the trade market this summer. Here are four players who the Washington National might trade in the 2019 season.
1. 2B Howie Kendrick
If someone told you before the season that at the beginning of June Howie Kendrick would have a compelling case for being the Washington Nationals best offensive player, you would have thought they were crazy. Well, as we sit here at the beginning of June that statement has become reality, and you could make a good case saying Kendrick has been the best overall hitter on the Nationals team. Coming into Saturday Kendrick has hit for a line of .326/.364/.585 with nine home runs and 33 runs batted in.
The veteran utility man has been red-hot of late, going 10 for his last 18 with four extra-base hits and eight runs batted in. When Kendrick has been in the Nationals starting lineup, the team has posted a 15-13 record. When he hasn’t, they are 9-20. Quite simply put, when Howie Kendrick is on the field he makes the Nationals a much better team.
Kendrick has always been a good hitter his entire career, but his power numbers this season are reaching levels he has never been before. 2013 was the last season that Kendrick hit double-digit home runs, hitting 13 and driving in 54 for the Los Angeles Angels. Even before that in 2011 when he made the American League All-Star team he hit 18 home runs, his career high. Kendrick is on pace to easily break this number with nine home runs already and easily could drive in 70-75 runs on the season.
The 35-year-old is a free agent at seasons end, so Washington would be smart to move him this year. With the Nationals Kendrick has not been able to play every day due to health concerns about his ability to hold up, but the veteran would be a perfect trade target for an American League team looking for a D.H. Kendrick likely will be one of the top hitters on the trade market this summer, and even with his outstanding performance don’t expect Washington to get a lot back in return. His age and contract situation will negate the Nationals from getting a big package back in a deal for Kendrick.
2. 1B Matt Adams
Washington Nationals first baseman Matt Adams is no stranger to being traded midseason. It has happened to him twice in his career, including last season when the Nationals dealt him to the St. Louis Cardinals. With Washington falling further and further out of the playoff race, it seems likely Adams will once again be changing cities this summer.
To this point in 2019 Adams has not come close to posting the type of production he did for Washington in 2018. Last year in his time with Washington Adams hit .257 with 18 home runs and 48 runs batted in. When Adams was in the Nationals starting lineup, the team posted a very impressive 43-28 record. To date in 2019 Adams has not had a great year, and missing time with two different injuries has played a part in this.
Coming into Saturday Adams is hitting .247 with five home runs, 18 runs batted in, and an on-base percentage of .277. His low OBP shows he has sortove been an all or nothing hitter this season. Despite his lack of production, Adams would be a coveted asset on the trade market if made available by the Nationals.
Teams are always looking for power off the bench, especially left-hander power. Adams could be useful for an American League team looking for a powerful hitting D.H., or he could be valuable for a National League team looking for a left-handed bench bat who can spell their first basemen time to time.
Adams has a mutual $4 million dollar option on his contract at the end of the 2019 season, but at age 31 and with his low production it seems unlikely Washington would pick this up anyway. He wouldn’t net them a ton in return, but Matt Adams seems like a guy who is almost a lock to be traded away from D.C. in 2019.
3. CP Sean Doolittle
If it was not for Sean Doolittle, the Washington Nationals realistically could have the worst record in Major League Baseball. Doolittle has been the only positive in a Washington bullpen who is statistically on pace to be one of, if not the, worst bullpen in Major League Baseball history. Despite the struggles of the bullpen as a whole, the former All-Star Doolittle is performing like he deserves a trip to Cleveland this July.
In 23 appearances Doolittle has a 3.52 E.R.A. In 23 innings he has struck out 28 batters and walked just seven. He has just 10 saves on the year, but this has nothing to do with his production and all to do with Washington failing to give him chances to close out wins this season. The left-hander closer is a two-time All-Star, and if made available on the trade market, would be the most coveted relief arm this summer.
Washington faces a tough decision this summer in regards to potentially dealing Doolittle. If they want to be back in contention in 2020, can they build a team without Doolittle that can do this? At 32-year-old the lefty has a six million dollar club option on his contract for the 2020 season. If the Nationals keep Doolittle six million is a bargain price for one of the best closers in all of baseball.
The decision likely will come down to what Washington can get in return. With so many playoff contending teams looking for bullpen help, the demand for Doolittle likely will be high. The Nationals could probably get a top-five prospect from whoever they deal Doolittle too, and that has to be enticing for the Washington front office. Overall, what Washington decided to do with Doolittle likely will hinge on what happens to the next man on our list.
4. 3B Anthony Rendon
The decision of what to do with Anthony Rendon is one that likely will either haunt or propel the Washington Nationals for years to come. There is no argument that Rendon is the Nationals best position player, and you could make a compelling argument he is their best player outright. To date, Rendon has put together an All-Star campaign and seems like a lock to head to Cleveland in July for his first ever All-Star appearance, whether he likes it or not.
The third baseman is hitting for a line of .314/.419/.647 with 10 home runs, 18 doubles, and 34 runs batted in. Rendon is easily on pace to drive in at least 85 runs for his fourth year in a row and has a shot to break his career home run record of 25. In his time with Washington when he has played over 136 games in a season Rendon has never had a lower average than .287 and has never driven in fewer than 82 runs.
Consistency is a huge key to building a successful ballclub, and Rendon brings that to the Nationals. He is never high, never low, and always produces at a consistently high All-Star level. At the end of the 2019 season, Rendon is set to be a free agent, and for the time being it seems like the two sides are not close on agreeing to a contract extension. Nationals General Manager Mike Rizzo said a little over a week ago the team is going to be “aggressive” in trying to get an extension done with Rendon, but we have heard nothing more since.
The decision on to deal Rendon will come down to the Nationals ownership deciding if they truly feel they can get a deal done with him to keep him in Washington long term. Last season, ownership nixed a potential Bryce Harper deal, only to let him walk to division rival Philidelphia in the offseason for basically nothing in return. If Mark Lerner and the Nationals ownership believe there is truly not a great chance Rendon will settle, or that they just do not want to give him the money he deserves, then they need to deal him ASAP.
In my opinion, Washington needs to give Rendon a long-term deal and keep him a National for years to come, but ownership may have different plans. If they do decide they just cannot, or do not want to extend him, they would likely get a king’s ransom in return at the deadline. Rendon would be by far the best player on the trade market, and teams like the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Boston Red Sox will be aggressive in trying to acquire him.
Next. Washington Nationals: June Schedule Provides Headliner Series. dark
The call on Rendon is by far the toughest one on this list, and the Washington Nationals ownership has a big decision to make about their club’s future in the next month and a half.