Washington Nationals Trade Deadline Preview
By Ron Juckett
As the Washington Nationals position themselves for the playoffs, what moves will they make to win their first championship?
The Washington Nationals are cruising towards a return to the playoffs.
With a five game lead in the National League East over the hobbled New York Mets, the Nats are in great shape to win the division and avoid the Wild Card round. Aside from gambling on winning a one-game playoff to make the NL Divisional Series, taking the East would allow manager Dusty Baker to arrange his starting rotation for the long road ahead.
As June slides into July, Washington possesses great strengths, few weaknesses and a couple glaring holes. As those filing into Nationals Park or spend an evening watching Bob Carpenter on MASN know—aside from the growing crush the region has on Wilson Ramos—they can beat the bad teams, but they struggle with the cream of the NL. Case in point against the Chicago Cubs, the Nationals are 2-5. At Wrigley Field, they were swept in four. With a West Coast trip on the way how they do against the San Francisco Giants, and the Los Angeles Dodgers to a lesser degree, will go a long way determining what needs addressing before the trade deadline.
The good news is Washington is pummeling the weak NL East. Going 21-10 against the Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies and Miami Marlins combined, they are winning the games they need to. The road ahead in the East shows 13 games left against the Braves and Mets and six apiece with the Phills and Marlins.
Winning the East, however, is not good enough. With the money locked into the starting rotation, this team is built for October. With some adjustments, they can go into November.
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