The Washington Nationals are working to unload some of their assets ahead of the trade deadline, as they sit in last place in the NL East. One such deal is facing a hiccup before Tuesday's last call, as teams are not in agreement with the usage of outfielder Lane Thomas.
Thomas is slashing an incredible .367 against lefties in 138 plate appearances, and a solid .258 against righties in 299 at-bats. The 27-year-old is having easily the best season of his six-year career, already eclipsing his RBI total at 54 with 60 games still remaining.
He will certainly be an asset to a contending team with his skillset, but many are not valuing him the same way that Washington has. That may be a bargaining trip to try and lower the price in a trade, but teams are reportedly seeing him as a platoon player instead of an everyday star, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
The Nationals have faced nothing but doom and gloom since winning the World Series in 2019. They essentially mortgaged their future to have a shot at the title with many large contracts that had to be moved, and it worked well for them to get the job done.
They are paying the price now for the victory, with over 200 losses in the past two seasons, and cruising for another 100-loss year this year. Thomas is one of the few bright spots on their roster, and they will hope to fetch a return for his services to help rebuild the franchise.