The MLB trade deadline has come and gone -- and Washington found themselves in the thick of it. Paul Toboni swung three trades: moreso focused at the future of the Nationals, but also having plenty of impact on the present too.
Going into the deadline, Nationals fans were hoping that Washington would push some of (not all) their chips into the table, and make a run at the postseason in 2026 -- far ahead of schedule in the new Paul Toboni and Blake Butera era. The results, and reactions from fans, were mixed.
On paper, there's no doubt that the current, August 2026 Nationals got worse. Sending away Luis Garcia Jr., Foster Griffin, and Curtis Mead for the currently-injured Connelly Early and a staggering handful of prospects and arms might not help Washington make the postseason now, but for the future? Yeah, the Nats got better.
Anyway, among all the discourse of who should be acquired, dealt, or kept during this surprisingly successful season, many Nationals fans and observers alike got the chance to see the shortcomings of this roster. The reasons winnable games in July were lost. The issues that would plague them come September. The reasons to go out and make trades for help at the deadline.
There were quite a few of those players. And sadly, there still are. These are three players that remain with the Nationals after the deadline, but really should not have made the cut.
Miles Mikolas
It didn't take long for Miles Mikolas to turn heads when he signed with Washington in the offseason, but unfortunately, not in a good way. In his first two starts, he gave up 15 runs. To this date, he's given up the fourth most runs of any pitcher in baseball, the third most home runs, and has yet to record a quality start this season. That means, in 24 starts, Mikolas has yet to throw 6 complete innings, and give up 3 runs or less.
Mikolas currently holds a 3-9 record and a 5.89 ERA. Out of his 24 appearances, the Nationals only won 9 of those games. That's roughly 38% of games. For what it's worth, Washington won 17 out of 23 games that Foster Griffin pitched in. The bar wasn't that high, but it felt like every time Mikolas got the start, Washington was already at a disadvantage, before the first pitch was even thrown.
What is even more puzzling about the fact that Mikolas is still with the Nats is that they've already cut ties with fellow veteran Zack Littell, who tallied a much better record (7-8) and slightly better ERA (4.97) than Mikolas. Yes, Littell struggled immensely giving up home runs, but it was somewhat surprising to see Littell sent packing, yet Mikolas remains.
If anything, Littell's departure does show that Paul Toboni is okay with cutting ties with his veteran rotation arms mid-season. I honestly couldn't tell you if Mikolas will make it to the end of the season. If it were up to me, I'd send Mikolas packing and give Jackson Kent or Luis Perales a shot in the big league rotation. This experiment failed, and it's time to move on.
Jorbit Vivas
Acquired by the Nats in late March, Jorbit Vivas has seen the field in roughly two of every three games. He offered pretty consistent help to the Nats for the first half of the season, but since July, he's gone completely cold.
It's been a week since his last hit. He has only nine hits since the beginning of July. His .233 batting average and .324 slugging percentage are simply not cutting it. And for a team that has prioritized player development in preparation for next season, Vivas is simply getting in the way.
With so much infield help waiting in the minor leagues, Yohandy Morales and Seaver King to be specific, Vivas' good-enough defense, and bat-gone-cold has Nationals fans questioning when his time in the District will be up.
José Tena
José Tena finds himself in a very similar position to Vivas -- underwhelming performance at positions that could be prioritized for younger players.
He's played all over the field this season, but the majority of his games this season (52) have been as Washingtons' designated hitter. Batting .240 this season, Tena's average is... fine. But, as a primary designated hitter, Washington needs more. Tena has only left the yard 3 times, and has only 20 RBIs -- that's not even a third of James Wood or CJ Abrams.
Now, I understand that José Tena is a plug-and-play guy, consistent full game appearances are hard to come by for him. In fact, he's only started five games at a defensive position this season, and has only finished one.
Like Vivas, Tena is simply not producing enough to stop Washington from looking elsewhere -- especially when the bat isn't hot, and the defensive fails in comparison to Nasim Nunez. I think Washington can get more at the DH position.
I think is has come to the surprise of many that these three players are still in Washington. And sadly, the more games the Nationals play, it will become clearer and clearer that these three are not a part of Washington's future plans, and the Nats would be better off opening the spots currently held by Mikolas, Vivas, and Tena to younger players who could show off their potential, and make their case to be a part of Washington's future.
Do you think that these players should remain with the Nats? Let me know in the comments, or on X (@andrewpindc)
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