Despite Losses Piling Up, Washington Nationals Have Been Post-Deadline Winners

The Washington Nationals were one of the few teams ahead of the 2024 MLB trade deadline that were clear sellers. They traded several veterans from their roster intending to improve the team for the future.

As a result, the performance on the field in the subsequent weeks has fallen off.

The Nationals, who were hovering around the .500 mark in the early summer, have sunk to the bottom of the standings. At 61-76, there are only five teams in baseball with a worse record than them.

Despite the underwhelming performance in the second half of this season, the future remains bright for the franchise. A reason for that is the work they did ahead of the deadline.

Washington is already seeing immediate returns from some of the deals that they made. As shared by ESPN, they have the highest Net WPA among noncontenders in baseball.

Players they sent out in trades have compiled a Net WPA of -1.21. Players they have received have recorded a Net WPA of +0.39, resulting in an impressive +1.60 overall. 

Second place behind them is the Toronto Blue Jays, who have a +1.25 WPA. On the opposite end of the spectrum is the Chicago White Sox, which encapsulates just how badly things have gone for the franchise this season.

A big chunk of that Net WPA equation for the Nationals has been their trade with the Cleveland Guardians centered around outfielder Lane Thomas.

Thomas has been brutal with the Guardians, recording a .189/.270/.281 slash line in 100 plate appearances. On the other hand, one of the players obtained by Washington, Jose Tena, has been on a tear.

In 17 games, the San Cristobal native has recorded 21 hits in his first 62 at-bats with two doubles and two home runs. His 138 OPS+ is an elite number in the small sample size, as the Nationals could have another young, long-term building block.

Another youngster who has played well for the team since the deadline is Andres Chaparro. Acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for Dylan Floro, he has produced an OPS+ of 118, with nine of his 15 hits going for extra bases.

The core lineup that is coming together in Washington is very impressive. Those two with CJ Abrams, Luis Garcia Jr., James Wood and Dylan Crews is an incredibly strong foundation to build the lineup around.

If the Nationals can see improvements from their young arms, or bring in an established pitcher or two in the offseason, they will take off in 2025.