Washington

3 Reasons Why Washington Nationals Should Trade Their All Star Veteran

Published

1 year ago

October 24, 2024

3 Reasons Why Washington Nationals Should Trade Their All Star Veteran

As the Washington Nationals head into the offseason, there are going to be a lot of important decisions about what is the next step for the franchise.

In 2024, the Nationals might have had an identical record to the season before, but it felt like it was a step in the right direction. A lot of the young and talented players for Washington played a lot of games, and some of their elite prospects began to make an impact.

From the Juan Soto trade a few years prior, the Nationals had CJ Abrams make the All-Star team, James Wood come up and produce very well for half a season, and MacKenzie Gore emerged as the best pitcher on the staff.

Even though there are a lot of young players with a lot of upside on the team, the Nationals are lacking veterans. That could be an area that they will try to address this offseason, but they could also wait another year before trying to compete in order to let their young talent continue to develop.

If they choose to wait, moving one of their veteran assets would be a wise move. Even though he was an All-Star last year and the closer for the team, here are three reasons why Washington should trade Kyle Finnegan.

Anytime a good relief pitcher becomes available, he is usually a hot commodity among contending playoff teams. As shown in the playoffs this season, with multiple teams playing bullpen games, relief pitchers are becoming more and more valuable.

While Finnegan isn’t an elite closer, he is a very good relief pitcher who could help a lot of teams. If he was to become available, there would be plenty of suitors for him this winter.

With the value of a good relief pitcher to a team being so important, the return in a trade for one is also good. Last campaign, the right-hander totaled 38 saves and a 3.68 ERA on a 71-win team. Finnegan will be under contract through 2025 before hitting free agency, as moving him with a full season to play compared to a half of season obviously increases his value.

Even though it feels like the Nationals are getting close to competing again, 2025 might not be the season. Next year, players like James Wood and Dylan Crews will be looking to play in their first full seasons in the Majors, as being a playoff team next campaign might be unrealistic.

Barring some big moves in trades or free agency, 2025 will more than likely be another year of development for some of the young players, with hopefully a nice increase in wins. If the team doesn’t make some moves to compete in 2025, there is no reason to hold on to their veteran closer.

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Washington

In deep-red Washington County, a surge in Democratic candidates

Published

2 hours ago

March 28, 2026

Press Room

In deep-red Washington County, a surge in Democratic candidates

Anger over a proposed immigration detention center in Williamsport and a gradual reduction in public participation at county commissioner meetings are cited as possible reasons for a surge in Democratic, and younger, candidates in Washington County.

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Washington

North Dakota National Guard heading to Washington duty

Published

15 hours ago

March 27, 2026

Press Room

North Dakota National Guard heading to Washington duty

BISMARCK — About 60 North Dakota Army National Guard Soldiers will be sent to help the District of Columbia National Guard under a joint task force starting in April.

Most soldiers are from the 131st Military Police Battalion, which is headquartered in Bismarck, according to a release.

The support will be given as part of the effort that began on Aug. 11, when several states activated members of their National Guard to support local and federal law enforcement in Washington under the President Donald Trump’s

executive order 14333,

which declared a crime emergency in the nation’s capital.

The support is a federal mission under the command of the D.C. National Guard, which supports civilian agencies and local law enforcement to reduce crime and minimize property damage.

“Safeguarding the citizens, federal workers and elected leaders in our nation’s capital is a matter of national security, and we appreciate these Soldiers volunteering for this important mission,” said North Dakota Gov. Kelly Armstrong in a release. “We know they will represent our state with the skill and professionalism that military leaders everywhere have come to expect from the North Dakota National Guard.”

The battalion is expected to be in Washington for about three months.

Our newsroom occasionally reports stories under a byline of “staff.” Often, the “staff” byline is used when rewriting basic news briefs that originate from official sources, such as a city press release about a road closure, and which require little or no reporting. At times, this byline is used when a news story includes numerous authors or when the story is formed by aggregating previously reported news from various sources. If outside sources are used, it is noted within the story.

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Washington

Brothers shot Park Police officer who arrested one of them the day before, documents say

Published

3 days ago

March 25, 2026

Press Room

Brothers shot Park Police officer who arrested one of them the day before, documents say

Charging documents reveal the U.S. Park Police officer who was shot Monday in Southeast D.C. had arrested one of the suspects the day before and was following that suspect at the time.

The suspects are brothers, 22-year-old Asheile Foster and 21-year-old Darren Foster, of Southeast. They appeared in federal court Wednesday afternoon.

Court documents state the Park Police officer who was shot had arrested Asheile Foster on Sunday on suspicion of dealing drugs. The officer said he followed Foster after he was released from jail on Monday and came to Park Police headquarters to get his personal belongings.

According to prosecutors, Foster told police he knew he was being followed by a white Tesla, and he confronted the officer on Queens Stroll Place SE, jumping out in front of the Tesla before the officer swerved around him.

Then, dozens of gunshots went off, the officer told police. He said in charging documents he was shot in the shoulder as he kept driving several blocks to the intersection of Benning Road and Southern Avenue SE, where police found him. A helicopter then took him to a hospital. According to charging documents, the officer was treated and released the same night as the shooting.

A U.S. Park Police officer who was shot in Southeast D.C. on Monday is recovering from what authorities say was likely a targeted attack. Multiple law enforcement sources tell News4’s Mark Segraves that when the officer was shot, he was investigating a shooting that occurred in Anacostia Park on Friday.

Photos in the charging documents show the brothers firing at the officer’s Tesla, according to prosecutors.

The shooting drew a massive police presence to the Southeast neighborhood near the D.C-Maryland border Monday night.

Shell casings littered the middle of the street. Police said they recovered two weapons: a Glock 9 with an extended magazine and an AR-15.

Prosecutors said that when the officer was shot, he was investigating a shooting that occurred in Anacostia Park on Friday. No one was injured in that shooting.

Darren Foster was located and stopped shortly after the shooting, D.C. police said. Asheile Foster was found on Tuesday.

The brothers were charged with assault on a federal officer, assault with intent to kill and weapons charges. They could face up to 60 years in prison if they’re convicted.