As the Washington Nationals finish up the regular season, there is a lot of excitement about what’s to come in 2025. 

This campaign was all about development for the Nationals. This was never going to be a team that was going to compete for a World Series this year, but the plan for their rebuild is looking good. 

Washington has been able to stockpile a lot of top prospects and good young players, as now the franchise is watching these players grow. While young players and prospects provide hope and excitement for a franchise, they don’t always pan out. 

In 2019, the Nationals saw the emergence of a talented young outfielder in Victor Robles. The then 22-year-old totaled a batting average of .255 with 17 home runs, 65 RBIs, and 28 stolen bases. The 4.4 WAR Robles was able to record made it appear like Washington had a star on their hands. 

Unfortunately for Washington and Robles, the 2019 season seemed like an outlier, as he didn’t produce anywhere near that level in the years to follow. This campaign, the Nationals decided that it was time to move on from their once talented prospect, as he was picked up by the Seattle Mariners. 

Whether it was the realization of being let go, or the Mariners finding something to help him improve, Robles is playing arguably the best baseball of his career with Seattle. Recently, Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report named the outfielder as one of the Top-5 most important position players on the team. 

Even though the Mariners had a really tough stretch during the season offensively that likely cost them the American League West, the play of Robles for them was really impressive. In 75 games with Seattle, the slugger has totaled a .327 batting average, four home runs, 25 RBIs, and 29 stolen bases. 

While Robles is playing excellently for the Mariners, the Nationals shouldn’t feel bad about moving on from him. Washington gave him plenty of opportunities over the last few years to produce. 

Since the Nationals moved on from Robles, the team has been able to get more playing time for young outfielders like Jacob Young, James Wood, and Dylan Crews. With those players being potential starters and stars for years to come, Washington should have no regrets. 

For Robles, it has been an excellent half of a season in Seattle. He was a player that was once considered a top prospect, and he might be finding his groove once again. 

The Washington Wizards should absolutely be on the lookout for young talent, and the Golden State Warriors may have the answer for them.

Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz has named Warriors young forward Jonathan Kuminga as a potential trade target for the Wizards this coming season.

“Another high-upside player on their rookie deal who hasn’t agreed to an extension with his team, Kuminga would bring a great deal of excitement to Washington,” Swartz wrote.

Swartz added that Kuminga would make even more sense if Kyle Kuzma is traded, which may very well happen.

The question is whether or not Golden State would actually want to move Kuminga.

Of course, Washington could always trade Kuzma in a deal for Kuminga, but the Warriors may not be so open to such a move.

Golden State seems to really like Kuminga, who had sort of a breakout year this past season when he averaged 16.1 points and 4.8 rebounds over 26.3 minutes a night on 52.9/32.1/74.6 shooting splits.

The 21-year-old took major strides offensively during the 2023-24 campaign, and while the consistency is not yet there on the defensive end, he has certainly shown flashes of being a terrific defender.

The Wizards are certainly in need of more young pieces. The quintet of Bilal Coulibaly, Deni Avdija, Corey Kispert, Daniel Gafford and rookie Bub Carrington is solid, but Washington doesn’t appear to have a whole lot of elite talent there.

Kuminga would represent a breath of fresh air for a Wizards team that won just 15 games a year ago and will absolutely be in contention for the No. 1 overall pick this coming season.

The Warriors are trying to figure out a way to contend with Stephen Curry while not completely mortgaging their future. It’s quite a tightrope, and Golden State has to find a happy medium.

Would that entail trading Kuminga for a player who could help the Dubs more right now? It remains to be seen. Perhaps Washington could get a third team involved in a potential trade.

Make sure you bookmark Washington Wizards on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

A D.C. woman is facing charges after workers at a Chipotle restaurant in Columbia Heights say she made violent threats.

Chanae Ridian Watson, 32, entered the restaurant on 14th Street NW with her mother Monday evening, angry because her mom had slipped on uneven pavement outside the restaurant, according to police.

Employees who did not want to be identified for safety concerns said Watson demanded the restaurant make repairs.

“We told the guy that we were going to take into consideration what happened, but the problem was not with us, it was with the building. We were going to let the manager of the building know about the situation,” one employee said.

The employees said Watson and her mother eventually left, but Watson returned. They said she became irate when the workers spoke Spanish with each other.

Watson threatened to shoot up the business and to come back and wait for them outside, according to a police report. 

“Threatening to kill, threatening to hurt us,” an employee said. “Also, offending the other workers. Started just calling out really horrible names.” 

Security asked the suspect to leave multiple times, according to the police report. She refused and escalated the situation. 

The police report quotes Watson as saying: “They don’t speak English; they don’t understand. You aren’t even born here, you are not a citizen, and she is going to vote for Trump.” Watson also said, “This is America. Learn English,” according to police.

The workers said they felt intimidated.

“I feel very unsafe, and every day, I and our team feel not safe coming to work,” one said.

Police stopped Watson outside the restaurant. She was visibly loud, angry and hysterical and refused to cooperate, the police report says. 

Watson was arrested and charged with making threats to kidnap or injure, unlawful entry, and hate crime based on racial group animus. Police said the crime is being investigated as potentially being motivated by hate or bias. Watson pleaded not guilty.

“We come here to work and support the country,” an employee said. “We do a lot of things that other people don’t want to do it, and they see how we work, but I feel unappreciated.” 

“It’s not really ever good just to look at somebody and discriminate against them just by the way they look without getting to know them or knowing them in general,” another employee said. “I felt very disappointed in a way.”

The employees said they’re continuing to work but they’re anxious and worried it could happen again.

Watson could not be reached for comment.

“We are aware of the incident that occurred at our 3113 14th Street NW Washington, D.C., restaurant and thankful that no team members were harmed by this senseless act,” Chipotle said in a statement to News4. “We are working cooperatively with the authorities handling this investigation and hope justice will be served for the individuals who did not treat our employees with the respect that they deserve.”

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