The Washington Nationals are fading from playoff contention, and some wonder if they would be best served becoming sellers at the trade deadline. Mike Rizzo is not prepared to go that route, and the GM certainly isn’t thinking about trading his most important franchise player.
Jon Paul Morosi of MLB.com asked Rizzo on Tuesday about his trade deadline approach.
“[We are] still optimistic about the division, and we will do what’s necessary to win this year and beyond in any deals we make,” Rizzo said.
Morosi notes that teams have inquired about Bryce Harper and other players, but the Nationals have given no indication that they are willing to unload pending free agents.
The Nationals are 49-50 and six games back in both the NL East division and the NL Wild Card race, and they will need to overcome some long odds in order to qualify for the postseason.
Key context on #Nats buy/sell decision: They are 6 games back of the NL’s second Wild Card. Since @MLB added a second Wild Card in 2012, no team has made up a deficit of 6+ games after Aug. 1, per Mike Berger of @FOXSports. @MLBNetwork
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) July 24, 2018
Washington is looking to add a starting pitcher in hopes of making a late push, but Rizzo could change his mind and unload some players prior to the Aug. 31 waiver deadline if his team falls into an even deeper hole. Still, it seems unlikely that they will trade Harper and risk having him sign a long-term extension with his new team. The Nationals are still one of a handful of teams with a shot at signing Harper, though even he was candid recently when discussing his future with the team.
