Nationals part ways with former top prospect

May 12, 2023; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; A detailed view of the Washington Nationals logo on a weighted bat during the seventh inning of the game between the Washington Nationals and the New York Mets at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Scott Taetsch-USA TODAY Sports

The Washington Nationals are finally giving up on a one-time top prospect.

The Nationals designated outfielder Victor Robles for assignment on Monday to activate Lane Thomas from the injured list. Robles, a former top prospect, will now be traded or released after parts of eight seasons with the team.

Victor Robles has been designated for assignment, with Lane Thomas activated off the IL.

— Mark Zuckerman (@MarkZuckerman) May 27, 2024

It seems hard to believe now, but Robles was once classed as the same type of prospect to Juan Soto when they were both youngsters coming up with Washington. At one point, Robles was a consensus top-five prospect, with MLB.com rating him as the No. 4 prospect in the entire sport prior to the 2019 season. The Nationals liked him so much that they were reluctant to trade him for some big names at one point.

Ultimately, Robles was never able to put it all together. The 27-year-old hit just .236 with 31 home runs and 70 stolen bases in 530 games, but never harnessed the talent he flashed. In the end, he spent more time annoying his own manager than he did making big plays.