Angels
Patrick Sandoval was one of the few bright spots for the Angels 2021 season, posting a 3.63 ERA in 17 appearances (14 starts). His season ended early when he landed on the 60 Day-IL due to a lower back stress fracture.
The Angels have been desperate for solid starting pitching for the majority of the past decade and would be looking for a mid-tier prospect to justify shipping out Sandoval. He would be a perfect fit for the backend of the Nationals rotation or could be a solid long deliver.
Astros
Houston has an underrated bullpen, with Ryne Stanek one of the key contributors. This past season, he posted a 3.42 ERA, with 83 strikeouts. Traded from the Rays to Houston in 2019, Staneky had struggled with his new team. This year he finally turned a corner and has continued his dominance into the postseason (two earned runs in 10 IP). Stanek allows the Nats another high leverage option.
Athletics
After losing their manager to San Diego, the A’s might start a full-blown rebuild. If that’s the case, Lou Trivino would help bolster the backend of the Nats bullpen. Trivino took over as the A’s closer after Liam Hendriks left in free agency.
This past year he posted a 3.18 ERA, with 67 strikeouts, and a 3.78 FIP in 73 2/3 innings. With two years left of arbitration, Trivino can be a part of the next Nationals core.
Mariners
Seattle is finally on the verge of being a serious contender, but their GM Jerry Dipoto is always trading happy. Ken Giles signed with Seattle after the 2020 season, but has yet to make his team debut due to recovering from surgery. Back in 2017, Giles went 34-38 in saves en route to winning the World Series with Houston. He struggled in 2018, but after being traded to Toronto, he posted a 1.87 ERA in 2019. Giles is a perfect buy-low candidate.
Rangers
Dane Dunning returned this year after undergoing Tommy John surgery, posting a 4.51 ERA. Similar to López, he was also part of the Lucas Giolito trade, who was then traded from Chicago to Texas for Lance Lynn. Before his injury, he posted a 3.97 ERA in his first season in the pros. Only a few teams are better than Washington when it comes to helping a player return to form after undergoing TJ. In D.C., Dunning can work through his growing pains on a Nationals team that is not yet ready to compete.