With the Washington Nationals entrenched in yet another dreadful season as the team's rebuild continues to progress, the 2025 MLB Trade Deadline should be a very active one for the team. While in recent years we have seen fan favorites like Lane Thomas, Jeimer Candelario and Jesse Winker all be traded, there might be more players dealt away in the coming days that will follow in their footsteps.
In this article, I will be looking at 5 players who are reportedly being made available by Nationals Interim GM Mike DeBartolo, as all rumors of a MacKenzie Gore trade should be put to rest. Of course, there could be more players included in this exercise, but these are just the ones that everyone around the league knows will be available.
Amed Rosario - UTIL
The first player to briefly touch upon is Amed Rosario, who has been able to carve out a useful niche as a platoon bat. His defense is certainly nothing to marvel at, but his .299/.333/.483 slash line and .816 OPS against southpaws should be able to make him a coveted asset by a team out there.
He does provide value from the standpoint that he can play a variety of positions, and he should be able to net at least a semi-quality prospect in return, which needs to be the focus for the Nationals at the deadline. Keep an eye on Rosario going to a team that needs a lefty thumper.
Josh Bell - DH/1B
Who would have thought that Josh Bell would yet again be a viable trade deadline option for a contending team? After his abysmal start that had many fans wondering why he had not been DFA'd by the team, the organization's faith in Bell has been rewarded recently.
Over the last month or so, perhaps a little longer, Bell has been on a tear, slashing .338/.442/.569 with a 1.011 OPS in the last 28 days, and has walked more times than he has struck out. His overall numbers aren't pretty still, but the fact that he has a .224 average now after spending most of the year below .200 is a great development. He offers next to nothing defensively, but his bat is hot, and that's valuable to playoff teams in search of an offensive push.
Kyle Finnegan - RHP
Kyle Finnegan should be the most likely player on the entire team to be traded, as teams are always looking for bullpen help heading into the Postseason. Finnegan was shockingly not traded at last year's deadline, and then was non-tendered following the season. Fast forward to 2025, and Finnegan had looked great until recently.
After not getting a save for over a full month with the Nationals continuing to lose, Finnegan has surrendered 10 earned runs in his last 4 outings, and has seen his ERA jump from 2.36 up to 4.62 in that time. His FIP still remains at an above-average 3.74, and he should be able to net a solid return even despite his struggles.
Michael Soroka - RHP
Another 1-year signing that looks like it will pay off is righty Michael Soroka, who has been listed along with Finnegan as the only 2 Nationals within Jeff Passan's Top 50 deadline trade candidates. He is another one whose surface numbers don't look great, but the underlying metrics look much better than expected.
The key for the return Soroka could net will be how other teams view him, and whether or not they believe he will be a starter for them. Soroka's issue has been getting past the 5th inning this season, and his stuff is good enough that he could be lethal as a multi-inning relief option.
Nathaniel Lowe - 1B
Out of every name on this list, I would consider Nathaniel Lowe to be the least likely to be dealt, but the team should be doing everything in their power to get something done. With Lowe having the worst season of his career and him due to make even more money in arbitration next year, the time is now to deal him.
He does have the pedigree of being a Gold Glover on defense, although he has been brutal in the field this year for the Nationals. As a first baseman who has previously been very good when not being asked to be a major power guy like he was this year, teams might think they can get him to return to that form, and the extra year of control might help his overall worth. With Yohandy Morales knocking on the door down in AAA, the Nationalss should look to deal Lowe and give Morales a chance to get his feet wet during this lost season.
Who do you think will generate the best return? As always, please let me know on X, @DCBerk.