Four Washington Nationals Who Could Be Traded In 2019
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.