As we are nearing the trade deadline, the Washington Nationals will try and improve their veteran’s trade value against the Cincinnati Reds.
Washington needed the All-Star break more than any team in baseball; however, their schedule right after the break is tough for a team in their position. After losing yet another series to the San Diego Padres, Washington is set to play another scrappy, playoff contender in the Cincinnati Reds. James Wood struggled throughout the series, going 1-11, and the rest of the lineup was not able to carry the load, scoring just seven runs in the series.
Veterans have been put on the trade block, and this series is important for boosting trade value. With Michael Soroka and Josh Bell playing big roles with Washington, they have an opportunity to play winning baseball elsewhere with a great start to the second half of the season.
Cincinnati has been one of the most inconsistent teams in Major League Baseball. With stretches of dominance comes stretches of a struggling rotation and lineup. Entering this series with a 52-48 record, they are fighting for a playoff spot in the loaded National League. While Milwaukee and Chicago are fighting for the division crown, Cincinnati is hoping to sneak into the playoffs and cause some damage. With Hunter Greene soon to start his rehab assignment and Elly De La Cruz improving week by week, Cincinnati has a fun, young roster, and they are trying to continue their climb in this series.
Let’s dive into the young, scrappy Cincinnati Reds.
TEAM STATS
OFFENSE
As a whole, Cincinnati’s offense is an average unit, but with Elly De La Cruz, they can explode in any game. Cruz leads the team in almost every offensive category and has proved to be one of the best shortstops in all of baseball. As a team, they are batting .246 (17th), scored 456 runs (11th), hit 107 home runs (17th), and have an on-base percentage of .318 (15th) and a slugging percentage of .397 (17th).
PITCHING
After starting off the season red hot, Greene has been sidelined with injury for most of the season. However, Nick Lodolo has stepped up as the team’s ace, leading the team in ERA and strikeouts. Greene is set to return in mid-August, the real playoff push. With Lodolo and Greene leading the rotation, this would be a scary front two to see in the playoffs. As a team, they have a 3.87 ERA (13th), allowed 116 home runs (20th), 1.24 WHIP (11th), and teams are batting .235 against them (7th).
GAME ONE – Monday, 6:45 EDT
WAS: RHP Jake Irvin (7-5) – 20 G, 4.58 ERA, 83 SO, 1.29 WHIP, 87 ERA+
CIN: RHP Brady Singer (7-7) – 19 G, 4.32 ERA, 92 SO, 1.35 WHIP, 104 ERA+
Jake Irvin has been a great innings eater for Washington this season; however, he has looked great through stretches this season. His future is unclear with Washington and could be a potential trade piece, depending on the interest from other teams. In his last start, he threw well against a stellar Milwaukee Brewers squad, throwing five innings and allowing four hits and three runs, all unearned. Despite this performance, Washington fell 8-1.
Singer’s first year in Cincinnati has been nothing spectacular, but he has been a great middle of the rotation arm all season long. Singer was acquired by Cincinnati in exchange for infielder Jonathan India, and Singer has been exactly what Cincinnati was looking for. In his last start, he threw a quality outing, tossing 6.1 innings and allowing seven hits and three earned runs, resulting in a Cincinnati win.
GAME TWO – Tuesday, 6:45 EDT
WAS: RHP Brad Lord (2-5) – 35 G (6 GS), 3.46 ERA, 56 SO, 1.25 WHIP, 116 ERA+
CIN: RHP Chase Burns (0-1) – 4 G, 6.19 ERA, 25 SO, 1.63 WHIP, 74 ERA+
Lord has been coming out of the bullpen for most of the season, and he has performed well, with a 116 ERA+. He threw his last start against the Cleveland Guardians on May 6. If he can translate the bullpen outings into solid starts, Washington will be more than pleased with his production. In his last three outings, he has allowed just two hits and one run, lowering his ERA to 3.46 on the season.
Burns struggled in his first two starts of his Major League career, but he has since found a groove. The big issue for Burns is his command, surrendering nine walks in his last three starts. However, his last start was the best of his career. Against the Colorado Rockies, Burns threw six innings, allowing four hits and two earned runs while striking out a career high ten batters.
GAME THREE – Wednesday, 12:05 EDT
WAS: RHP Michael Soroka (3-7) – 14 G, 5.10 ERA, 77 SO, 1.15 WHIP, 78 ERA+
CIN: LHP Nick Lodolo (7-6) – 20 G, 3.33 ERA, 104 SO, 1.08 WHIP, 135 ERA+
Soroka’s name has been swirling around the trade block and should gather interest from other teams. Even with a 5.10 ERA, Soroka has thrown well in his recent starts and has shown the ability to strikeout batters at a consistent rate. In his last start, he threw five innings and allowed three hits and one run, but Washington lost yet another game.
Lodolo struggled in 2024, and fans were worried about his performance and injury history heading into 2025. Lodolo has turned into one of the best pitchers on his team and is proving to be one of the best lefties in all of baseball. In his last start, he threw seven innings and allowed four hits and two runs in a big win against the New York Mets.
Washington fans are in for a rough second half. With the rebuild continuing, this year’s trade deadline is very important. Capitalizing on veteran talent and turning them into developable prospects. Hopefully this season will be the lowest of the lows, and next season can be the first of many great seasons.