Nats acquire prospect Trey Harris from Braves for Adrianza
WASHINGTON -- The Nationals made their first move leading up to Tuesday's highly anticipated Trade Deadline just before noon ET on Monday by acquiring Braves outfield prospect Trey Harris for veteran utility player Ehire Adrianza.
Harris was ranked as Atlanta’s No. 29 prospect by MLB Pipeline. The 26-year-old right-handed hitter slashed .238/.338/.323 with 45 hits, 25 runs, eight doubles and a .661 OPS in 59 games in his third season with Double-A Mississippi.
Harris was selected by the Braves in the 32nd round of the 2018 MLB Draft, and he won the Hank Aaron Award as the organization’s top Minor League offensive player in ‘19.
“In ‘19, he actually had a really good year,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez said Monday. “Obviously, we had the COVID year [in ‘20], and he’s kind of bouncing back. I know he’s in Double-A, but he still has some upside.”
TRADE DETAILS
Braves get: INF Ehire Adrianza
Nationals get: Minor League OF Trey Harris (Braves' No. 29 prospect)
Adrianza, 32, returns to Atlanta, where he won a World Series last year. The switch-hitter began his 10th season on the injured list and missed 56 games with a left quad strain. But Adrianza had been getting more reps of late at third base, and he appeared in 18 of the Nationals’ 25 games in July. He hit .179 with seven RBIs and five runs across 31 contests this season.
“I wish I would have seen more of Ehire here because I know the kind of player that he is,” Martinez said. “He got off to a slow start, and I really believe it’s because he was injured. … But I loved having him. He was a constant professional. I knew I could count on him going out there and doing whatever I asked him to do, no matter what. I wished him all the best. I told him, ‘Maybe we’ll cross paths again here one day soon.”
In a corresponding move, the Nationals selected the contract of 31-year-old infielder Ildemaro Vargas from Triple-A Rochester, where he was batting .224 in 48 games. Like Adrianza, Vargas has experience playing second base, third base and shortstop. He has appeared in 186 Major League contests across six seasons for the D-backs, Twins, Pirates and Cubs.
All eyes are on Washington's next moves as the baseball world waits to see if Juan Soto will be moved prior to the 6 p.m. ET Trade Deadline on Tuesday. First baseman Josh Bell and designated hitter Nelson Cruz are also notable names to watch.
“This is the first one, and who knows what’s going to happen in the next 48 hours,” Martinez said. “So we’ll see.”