The 10 Best Trades in Nationals History

Mike Rizzo has made it well known that he is always willing to make a big trade. Some of the pillars of our most successful teams like Trea Turner and Gio Gonzalez were acquired via trade, and Rizzo has experience not only buying at the deadline but also showing he can effectively sell as well. From big to small, it's time to weed out the best from the worst and look at the 10 best trades in Washington Nationals history.

Honorable Mentions:

Lane Thomas (2021)
Nationals Received: OF Lane Thomas
Cardinals Received: LHP Jon Lester

Tyler Clippard (2007)
Nationals Received: RHP Tyler Clippard
Yankees Recieved: RHP Jonathan Albaladejo

Alfonso Soriano (2005)
Nationals Received: LF/2B Alfonso Soriano
Rangers Received: OF Brad Wilkerson, OF Terrmel Sledge, and RHP Armondo Galarraga

Juan Soto (2021)
Nationals Received: SS CJ Abrams, OF James Wood, LHP MacKenzie Gore, OF Robert Hasell III, RHP Jarlin Susana, and 1B/DH Luke Voit
Padres Received: OF Juan Soto, 1B Josh Bell

10. Doug Fister (2013)

Nationals Received: RHP Doug Fister
Tigers Received: UTIL Steve Lombardozzi, LHP Ian Krol, and LHP Robbie Ray

Fister was awesome in his two years in DC, hurling 267 innings with a 3.10 ERA and a 124 ERA+, finishing 8th in NL Cy Young Voting in 2014. Although he missed time in both seasons due to injury, Fister dazzled in his only post-season appearance in DC, pitching 7 innings of shutout baseball against the Giants in 2014. Lombardozzi and Krol both had their moments in DC, with Ray never really putting it together until his Cy Young season with the Blue Jays in 2021.

9. Mike Morse (2009)

Nationals Received: 1B/OF Michael Morse
Mariners Received: OF Ryan Langerhans

One of the first transactions by Mike Rizzo as the President in Washington, Rizzo took a flyer on the hard-hitting Mike Morse, giving up journeyman outfielder Langerhans coming off his best season in 73 games. Langerhans never did much in Seattle, while Mike Morse busted out in DC. Morse has one of the most interesting career paths to the major leagues you will ever see, and put it all together in 2011, mashing 31 homers with a .910 OPS. Although Morse was a liability defensively and struggled to stay healthy, he was a huge part of our first contending team and flat-out mashed the baseball.

8. Denard Span (2012)

Nationals Recieved: CF Denard Span
Twins Received: RHP Alex Meyer

In desperate need of a center fielder and lead-off guy, the Nationals found their guy in fan-favorite Denard Span. Giving up top pitching prospect Alex Meyer, who never panned out even though he showed flashes with the Twins and later the Angels, was a small price to pay for Span, as he was a gold glove level player in 2013 and 2014 while battling through injuries in 2015. It is hard to believe Span only played three seasons here with the impact he made.

7. Tanner Roark (2010)

Nationals Received: RHP Tanner Roark and RHP Ryan Tatusko
Rangers Received: SS Cristian Guzman

Looking for a trade partner for the aging Guzman on an expiring deal, the Rangers took a flyer on the shortstop, and he ended up only playing 15, and final, games in Texas. The Nationals received Roark, the little-known prospect and 25th-round pick in the 2008 MLB Draft by Texas. Roark made his MLB debut in 2013, pitching to a 3.85 ERA in 935 innings in six seasons with us, ranging from an elite starter to a long reliever, and even closing a big game. Roark was awesome and later traded to Cincinnati, for the longest-tenured National and World Series champion, Tanner Rainey.

6. Wilson Ramos (2010)

Nationals Received: C Wilson Ramos, LHP Joe Testa
Twins Received: RHP Matt Capps

A rental at the trade deadline with the Nationals out of contention once again, the All-Star Capps was flipped to the Twins for Wilson Ramos, who was stuck behind future Hall of Famer Joe Mauer at catcher. The Buffalo quickly became a fan favorite and masher behind the plate at DC, hitting 83 home runs in parts of 7 seasons, being a well above average bat behind the plate and close to the average defender. Hard to believe Matt Capps on a 1-year contract turned into Ramos.

5. Adam Eaton (2016)

Nationals Received: OF Adam Eaton
White Sox Received: RHP Lucas Giolito, RHP Reynaldo Lopez, and RHP Dane Dunning

This trade was an interesting one, to say the least. Rizzo pushed all the chips forward for Eaton coming off a career year, giving up three big-time pitching prospects for the right fielder. Eaton was coming off three straight 3+ war seasons in Chicago and was one of the best players in baseball in 2016 with 6.2 fWAR thanks to his elite defense in right. Eaton was solid over his tenure in DC, encapsulated by the World Series in 2019, but Giolito, Dunning, and Lopez have all turned into solid pros. We would not have won the World Series without Eaton, who batted .310 with 2 home runs, but it would have been nice to have those three pitchers in the future.

4. Daniel Hudson (2019)

Nationals Received: RHP Daniel Hudson
Blue Jays Received: RHP Kyle Johnston

Huddy will live in Nationals history forever. In desperate need of bullpen help, Rizzo brought in the journeyman Hudson in the midst of his best season as a relief pitcher in Toronto after being released by the Angels before Opening Day. In 2019, Hudson threw 25 innings in Washington to a 1.44 ERA and 6 saves. His postseason was excellent, throwing 9 2/3 innings allowing 4 runs with 10 strikeouts, and of course, throwing the final pitch of the 2019 World Series. It is hard to believe a minor trade like that paid of such a big dividend.

3. Sean Doolittle (2017)

Nationals Received: LHP Sean Doolittle, RHP Ryan Madson
Athletics Received: RHP Blake Treinen, LHP Jesus Luzardo, and INF Sheldon Neuse

As usual, the 2017 Washington Nationals were one of the best teams in baseball in the first half, but they had one fatal flaw: the bullpen. Treinen had wicked stuff but could never find it in Washington, as the Nationals grouped his and Luzardo's potential to get two proven back-of-the-bullpen arms. Luzardo is electric when healthy but is as inconsistent as you can get, and Doolittle and Madson both provide steady relief for us. Doolittle was an All-Star, World Series Champion, and lockdown closer for us, and is one of the best relievers, and people, in Nationals history.

2. Gio Gonzalez (2011)

Nationals Received: LHP Gio Gonzalez, RHP Robert Gilliam
Athletics Received: RHP Brad Peacock, RHP A.J. Cole, C Derek Norris, LHP Tommy Milone

Looking to contend, the Nationals made one of the most significant trades in Nationals history, trading away a group of top prospects in a loaded system for an up-and-coming left-handed starter in Gio Gonzalez. Viewed as an overpay at the time, Gio became a cornerstone in Washington, pitching seven seasons of 3.62 ERA ball, with 1253 1/3 innings, and 1215 strikeouts. He was an All-Star, and finished 3rd in Cy Young Voting in 2012, along with leading the NL in wins and winning the Warren Spahn Award for the best left-handed starter. Peacock, Cole, Norris, and Milone all had okay careers, but did not live up to the hype of their prospect status by any means. Gio was as spectacular as his smile throughout his time in DC.

1. Trea Turner (2015)

Nationals Received: SS Trea Turner, RHP Joe Ross
Rays Received: OF Steven Souza Jr, LHP Travis Ott, 1B/OF Jake Bauers, RHP Burch Smith, C Rene Rivera
Padres Received: 1B/OF Wil Myers

Without exaggeration, this will go down as one of the best trades in the history of baseball for the Washington Nationals. The Nationals gave up Steven Souza Jr., who was a spectacular minor leaguer but never put it together at the Major League level, for their best shortstop in history and one of the best, if not the best, shortstops in the league to this day. Not only that, but Joe Ross is still chugging and providing big-time innings for us when healthy. Turner was an All-Star, won a batting title, and of course, a World Series championship in his seven seasons in DC, putting up over 25 fWAR. His combination of defense, hitting, power, and speed, is unlike we had ever seen in Washington before.