Four Candidates for Washington Nationals at Trade Deadline

With the trade market drawing all the focus ahead of the Aug. 3 deadline, who could be linked to discussions? Taking a look at four candidates for the Washington Nationals, starting with the most obvious in the rotation.

LHP Foster Griffin

If there's a most likely candidate to be moved, the ace in the rotation may be the one who gets the nod. Griffin deflected questions about possible trade interest or uncertainty with the organization beyond the current season, but it's easy to see why he's been at the source of questions.

In his first start since dazzling in the All Star game, Griffin allowed one run or fewer in his eighth consecutive start to set a new franchise record, along with eight hits across seven innings. He now owns a 2.68 ERA and 1.03 WHIP to go with 111 strikeouts after proving to be consistent through the regular season.

For a front office that has prioritized the return haul for their top players, the Nationals could get exactly that for the 30 year old lefty with the value likely far exceeding his current $5.5 million contract. If the Nationals continue to hover around .500 approaching the deadline, cashing in on Griffin makes the most sense if the front office opts not to extend arguably the lone true bright spot in the rotation.

1B Luis Garcia Jr

The Nationals' first baseman became the latest to find himself in trade talks after president of baseball operations Paul Toboni confirmed that Garcia has drawn interest from multiple teams around the league.

The longest tenured National, García is approaching a career-high and ranks second on the team with 68 RBIs, two away from tying his 2024 mark. He is in the midst of a slight slump since the series against the Yankees with just two hits over his last 20 at bats, yet that's also been after he took off once the calendar turned to June after ending the month with 11 home runs, 27 RBIs and a .306 batting average. Does it mark a chance for the Nationals to potentially sell high, or is the 26 year old finding his rhythm to become another piece?

3B Curtis Mead

The Nationals acquired Curtis Mead during spring training, and after proving to deliver in the Nationals offense with 17 home runs and 48 RBIs -- both career highs -- the third baseman has value ahead of the deadline. While interest from teams around the league hasn't been reported like Garcia, others have pointed to the fit ahead of the deadline. Mead also ranks fifth among third basemen with a 7.6 barrels per plate appearance in 2026 while he's on pace to setting career-highs in batting average, OBP, slugging and OPS. Could the Nationals opt to cash in?

SS CJ Abrams

While Toboni confirmed interest for Garcia after previously shooting down any speculation surrounding James Wood, he did confirm Abrams has still drawn trade interest from teams around the league. It isn't the first time he's been tied to the noise -- the San Francisco Giants made an offseason push for Abrams before Washington walked away -- while the expectation was Abrams could pop back up in the conversation closer to the deadline. While Washington hasn't shut down the possibility, the idea of the front office pulling a trigger that sends the organization's first All Star starter in eight years away during a season filled with outperforming expectations would serve as a gut punch both on the field and to the fanbase. One could make a similar argument for Griffin, especially at a premium position, but Abrams also remained a cornerstone piece for the organization ahead of the start of the Blake Butera era. Among the four candidates, Abrams may comfortably be most unlikely to be moved.

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