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Nationals: Three Players Washington Should Trade For

By Max Rayman |
CLEVELAND, OH - SEPTEMBER 27: Josh Bell #55 of the Pittsburgh Pirates bats during the game against the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field on September 27, 2020 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH - SEPTEMBER 27: Josh Bell #55 of the Pittsburgh Pirates bats during the game against the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field on September 27, 2020 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images)
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While the free-agent market is full of intriguing talent, it is in Washington’s best interest to also keep an eye on the trade market.

Third Base. Second Base. Outfield. Catcher. Starting Rotation. Bullpen. The Washington Nationals have plenty of holes to fix this off-season and only a projected $47 million to work with. Expect the free-agent market to move at a snail’s pace, with teams licking their wounds from financial losses due to COVID. Only a few teams will be willing to spend big this winter and while the major free agents will get paid, many will be left out in the cold.

With an uncertain off-season, Washington should do its due diligence and target the trade market. Yes, they have a very empty farm system, but if the team wants to keep their window open, they will need to give up talent to receive talent. Multiple key names have been rumored in trade talks with Fransisco Lindor and Nolan Arenado being the cream of the crop. Washington will be out on both, but can still find some hidden gems that would help bring the Nationals closer to competing once again.

With that being said, here are three players the Nationals should attempt to trade for.

CINCINNATI, OH – SEPTEMBER 14: Josh Bell #55 of the Pittsburgh Pirates bats against the Cincinnati Reds during game two of a doubleheader at Great American Ball Park on September 14, 2020 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)
CINCINNATI, OH – SEPTEMBER 14: Josh Bell #55 of the Pittsburgh Pirates bats against the Cincinnati Reds during game two of a doubleheader at Great American Ball Park on September 14, 2020 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images) /

Josh Bell

Josh Bell’s trade stock has taken a hit since last season, but Washington should still check in on the asking price. In 2019, Bell broke out hitting .277, with 37 homers, 116  RBIs, and an OPS of .936. 2020 saw Bell hit a measly .226, with eight homers, 22 RBIs, and an OPS of .669. Despite his down year, Bell still has two years left of arbitration and has shown flashes of what he can do at the plate.

The downside to Bell is his defense. In his career, he has -32 DRS and an Ultimate Zone Rating (UZR) of -19.9. With an already average at best defensive infield, Washington will need Bell’s bat to carry his defense.

A reason to be optimistic about Bell bouncing back if he was traded, is that he would be following in the footsteps of former Pirates. Gerrit Cole, Tyler Glasnow, and Austin Meadows all come to mind. Cole was inconsistent with the Pirates, but when he was traded, he became an entirely different pitcher. Glasnow and Meadows were two former top prospects that had failed to flourish in Pittsburgh. However, when they were traded to Tampa, both of them turned into top players at their respective position. While it is unlikely Bell turns into a superstar, a change of scenery would be beneficial for the 28-year-old. With the Pirates, he has been leaned on to be the heart of the lineup. In Washington, he wouldn’t have that added pressure, instead, he would be used as protection for Juan Soto.

SAN DIEGO, CA – SEPTEMBER 10: Kris Bryant #17 of the Chicago Cubs hits a two-run home run during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park September 10, 2019 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images)
SAN DIEGO, CA – SEPTEMBER 10: Kris Bryant #17 of the Chicago Cubs hits a two-run home run during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park September 10, 2019 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images) /

Kris Bryant

Kris Bryant has been involved in trade rumors over the last few years, with the Nationals constantly being tied to him. The team checked in after Anthony Rendon left but the Cubs asked for Victor Robles as a conversation starter. Obviously trade talks died down after that. The 2015 NL MVP has one year left on his contract and he made $18.6 million in arbitration for 2020. Besides Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Javier Baez, and Kyle Schwarber are all set to reach free agency in 2021 for the Cubs. Now is the time for Chicago to flip one of their stars to restock a barren farm system.

Washington rolled the dice on Asdrubal Cabrera and Carter Kieboom at third for 2020. This move backfired and Washington is once again looking for help at the hot corner. While being patient with Kieboom is the smart move, Washington is in win-now mode and will be looking for an upgrade.

In six seasons with the Cubs, Bryant has hit .280, with 142 homers, 414 RBIs, and an OPS of .889. Defensively, Bryant has been decent, posting six DRS. While Bryant primarily plays third, he also has experience in the outfield, mostly left and right. The 29-year-old had a down season in 2020, hitting a career-worst .206, with four homers, 11 RBIs, and an OPS of .644. His down year mixed with him only having one year left on his contract will knock the asking price down a tad.

Bryant would immediately add protection for Juan Soto in the lineup while filling the void left at third. The downside to Bryant is his arbitration price tag would take up a major chunk of the teams remaining salary. Plus he could be a rental unless Washington could iron out an extension. Bryant is a Boras client so an extension wouldn’t come cheaply.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 25: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Starling Marte #6 of the Miami Marlins in action against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on September 25, 2020 in New York City. The Marlins defeated the Yankees 4-3 in ten innings and clinched a playoff spot. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 25: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Starling Marte #6 of the Miami Marlins in action against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on September 25, 2020 in New York City. The Marlins defeated the Yankees 4-3 in ten innings and clinched a playoff spot. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /

Starling Marte

The Miami Marlins traded for Marte at the trade deadline and recently picked up his $12.5 million option for 2021. Despite this, the Marlins could still flip the 32-year-old. After making the playoffs for the first time since 2003 on the back of a promising starting rotation, the Marlins could view that they are not ready to contend. If that is the case, trading Marte could help cut payroll while also bringing back some value. This is where the Nationals come in.

After declining the option on Adam Eaton, Washington is searching for a new starting outfielder. After shifting Juan Soto to right at the end of the 2020 season, it seems the plan is for Soto to stick in right for the foreseeable future. Marte who mainly plays left but could also take over in center would immediately be a huge boost defensively. Over his nine-year career, the two-time Gold Glover has 76 outfield assists and 59 DRS. Marte’s best defensive numbers have come from left.

Offensively, Marte is a table-setter, seen by his career batting average and wRC+ of .287 and 116 respectively. In Washington, Victor Robles should lead off, while Marte, Soto, and Trea Turner follow him respectively. This would add another consistent bat while fixing the top of the lineup.

Next. 3 former players Nationals should go after. dark

Dangling one of the team’s pitching prospects such as Seth Romero or Wil Crowe as conversation starters could interest the Marlins, who will be looking for MLB-ready talent.

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