Breaking down Nats' top trade candidates

WASHINGTON -- What might the Nationals’ roster look like in one week's time? After swinging blockbuster deals at each of the past two Trade Deadlines, Washington is a seller again ahead of this year’s Aug. 1 Deadline.

While they don’t have the superstar pieces to pull off a franchise-altering deal this time around, the Nats are nonetheless expected to be active in what should be a seller’s market, with several chips to play with in the six days between Wednesday afternoon’s walk-off 5-4 win over the Rockies at Nationals Park and the Deadline.

Washington’s offense was held in check by Peter Lambert and two Colorado relievers before the club stormed back against erratic Rockies right-hander Daniel Bard, sending nine batters to the plate and walking off on CJ Abrams’ RBI single. Afterwards, the Nationals departed for a four-game series in New York. They’ll then return home to face the Brewers in a series that will run through the Aug. 1 Deadline.

With that on the horizon, let’s take a closer look at the Nats’ main trade candidates.

Jeimer Candelario, 3B
Signed to a one-year, $5 million deal this winter, Candelario is enjoying a bounceback season in his first year in the nation’s capital. The 29-year-old switch-hitter, who entered Wednesday with a 3.0 bWAR, has an .819 OPS and 16 home runs in 95 games and is owed less than $2 million for the remainder of the season, which should be enticing to clubs seeking infield help at the Deadline. Candelario is also one of the game’s better defensive third baseman, ranking in the 94th percentile in Statcast’s Outs Above Average metric.

MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand recently identified the Marlins, Twins and Yankees as potential fits for Candelario, who came up with the Tigers and hit as many as 19 home runs (2018) and 42 doubles (2021) in a season during his tenure with Detroit.

Lane Thomas, RF
Arguably the Nats’ most productive everyday player this season, Thomas is enjoying a breakout year at age 27, hitting .293/.341/.486 with 16 homers, 12 steals and a 122 wRC+ through 101 games. While Thomas’ overall defensive numbers don’t jump off the page, his elite athleticism (94th percentile sprint speed, 96th percentile arm strength) makes him an impact defender in right field, as he showcased Tuesday with his NL-leading 11th outfield assist of the season.

But with two more years of team control, it’s far less likely the Nationals deal Thomas than, say, Candelario, who is on an expiring contract. That said, his skillset stands out in a not-especially-deep outfield market, where the Blue Jays, Brewers, Guardians and Yankees could be among the teams shopping for outfield help.

“You have a good player, a good All-Star-caliber type of player in Lane Thomas, and you have him for two more seasons after this,” general manager Mike Rizzo told reporters last week. “Sure, that makes it much more difficult to trade. That’s code word for 'we’d have to get a good return.'"

Kyle Finnegan, RHP
While the Nationals’ best reliever trade candidate is probably Hunter Harvey, his status on the injured list complicates any potential deal. The Nats could just as easily dangle Finnegan or Carl Edwards Jr., both of whom are having fine seasons of their own.

Signed as a Minor League free agent in 2019, Finnegan turned himself into a legitimate leverage reliever over the past few seasons, pitching to a 3.38 ERA in 199 appearances for Washington since 2020. He’s amassed 36 saves over the past three seasons, and he would come with both ninth-inning and set-up experience. The 31-year-old is also under team control for two more seasons, which could increase his value at the Deadline, when contenders are always searching for relief depth.

Also on the pitching front: It’s possible starters Trevor Williams and/or Patrick Corbin draw interest from clubs seeking rotation depth. Both are under club control through next season, with Corbin still owed about $43 million. The Nationals would almost certainly need to eat at least most of that remaining money to make a deal work.

Riley Adams, C
Adams’ name hasn’t appeared much in trade rumors yet, but it’s worth wondering if the Nats might have a sleeper candidate in their backup catcher. A revelation at the plate this season, Adams has been arguably the most productive backup catcher in baseball in 2023.

Backups typically contribute more with their gloves, but for Adams it’s been the bat -- he’s hitting .299 and slugging .552 with four homers and 12 RBIs in only 95 plate appearances after another two-hit night Tuesday.

Catching remains the game’s most scarce position, and Adams is more expendable with Keibert Ruiz having sewed up the starting job in Washington for years to come. Where there is scarcity, there’s value. Maybe Adams entices a team looking to add some pop to its catching corps.