The Washington Nationals will be back in action later on this evening against the Athletics, and it will be the club's first time visiting Sacramento since the Athletics moved from Oakland. It likely will end up being the only visit the Nationals make to Sacramento, as the Athletics are expected to move into their new ballpark in Las Vegas for the 2028 season.
Since the last time we saw the Nationals on the field, there has been some new organizational transactions that must be noted. We already covered top catching prospect Harry Ford likely coming up to make his MLB debut as early as tonight, but the Nationals did not stop there in terms of making transactions.
Robert Hassell III traded to Pirates for cash or player to be named later
As the headline says, Robert Hassell III, the 8th overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft by the San Diego Padres, has been traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for cash considerations or a player to be named later. This move comes 10 days after he was surprisingly designated for assignment after what had been a pretty disappointing start to his season while playing for AAA Rochester.
Although just 24-years-old, Hassell III was seemingly struggling to overhaul some things with his approach at the plate, something that did not earn him any favors with a new front office that prioritizes it a lot. Combine the lack of growth in that department with the overall decline of his statistics in virtually every category from last year, and you can realize why he was DFA'd.
He had fallen behind James Wood, Daylen Lile, Dylan Crews, and Jacob Young at the big league level, and was likely not going to be called up over guys like Andrew Pinckney or Christian Franklin either, with several more outfield prospects coming up behind him. A fresh start with a young Pirates organization could be exactly what he needs to get his career back on track.
Hassell III originally came over to the Nationals in the Juan Soto trade of 2022, but compared to the other young assets in the trade, he struggled the most upon the completion of the trade. Although it didn't quite pan out in Washington for Hassell III, it would not be surprising to see him realize his potential in another organization.
What do you think of the Robert Hassell III trade to the Pittsburgh Pirates? As always, please let me know on X, @DCBerk.
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