Mike DeBartolo says he wants to keep the Nationals' young core intact

Washington Post

6 days ago

Interim general manager Mike DeBartolo isn't a stranger to the trade deadline. He has been heavily involved in the Washington Nationals' moves since he joined the organization in 2012, even laying the groundwork for the 2022 blockbuster that sent Juan Soto to the San Diego Padres for six players, three of whom now star in D.C. During his introductory news conference this month, DeBartolo said he negotiated several trades on his own.
But this year's deadline, which arrives July 31, will look different for the former assistant general manager. For the first time in DeBartolo's career, he will have the final say on the Nationals' moves. And despite being in an interim role, he will be tasked with making decisions that could significantly alter the team's future.
Asked Saturday whether he would like to keep the Nationals' young core intact, he said he would. That group includes first-time all-stars MacKenzie Gore and James Wood, 2024 all-star CJ Abrams and outfielder Dylan Crews.
'I'm looking to keep the young, core group of our best players together,' DeBartolo said. 'Certainly [with] my job, if someone calls, you always listen to what they have to say. But trading away our really high-quality young players is not something I'm looking to do right now.'
The Nationals entered the season hoping, if everything went to plan, that they could compete for a National League wild-card spot. But they endured an 11-game losing streak in June and are 39-59 after Saturday night's win over the Padres snapped a five-game skid. As his team slumped, then-manager Dave Martinez said the Nationals' issues were 'never on coaching,' though he attempted to temper his comments a day later. Martinez and general manager Mike Rizzo and were fired July 6. Well on its way to another losing season, Washington must weigh all of its options.
DeBartolo wouldn't commit to a timeline for when he believes the Nationals will contend again. But he did say, for now, the goal is to acquire as much young talent as possible.
Wood and Crews are not yet eligible for arbitration while Abrams will be eligible for the first time this offseason, so there's little reason to explore trading those three position players. But there may be a case to trade Gore, a 26-year-old left-hander having the best season of his career.
Gore has two more years until he can become a free agent — that's where Soto stood when the Nationals traded him in 2022. Like Soto, he is a Scott Boras client and is unlikely to sign a contract extension before reaching free agency. The Nationals haven't shown a desire to hand out long-term deals — aside from catcher Keibert Ruiz, who signed a team-friendly eight-year deal in 2023. Much like they did with Soto, the Nationals could try to maximize the return for Gore by dealing him this summer.
But there also are plenty of reasons not to trade him. It's hard to find a front-line arm, especially for an organization that has struggled to develop them in recent years. Moving out Gore also would send the message that the Nationals are taking a step back and aren't ready to contend in the near future.
DeBartolo, for his part, said he would like to keep Gore on the roster.
'I'd put him in that group in terms of our young, really talented players,' he said. 'That's not a focus of mine to move him.'
The Nationals have plenty of players whom DeBartolo could be more inclined to move. The most obvious option is reliever Kyle Finnegan, who also was in trade rumors each of the previous two seasons. He had a 2.36 ERA in his first 34 appearances but allowed eight earned runs in his next two before recording the save Saturday. His ERA is 4.25, and he is on an expiring contract.
In previous years, Rizzo set the bar high for Finnegan, saying he wanted a significant return for an all-star closer. (Finnegan was a replacement pick last year.) Finnegan's peripheral numbers suggest he's not as valuable as his role suggests. What remains to be seen is how DeBartolo, as compared to his predecessor, views Finnegan.
Next is first baseman Nathaniel Lowe, who has performed below expectations. He's entering his final year of arbitration and is making a team-high $10.3 million this year. The Nationals could trade him because he's likely to be a non-tender candidate in the offseason.
Infielders Josh Bell, Paul DeJong and Amed Rosario are optimal trade candidates on one-year deals. So is right-hander Michael Soroka, who could offer versatility to a contender given his experience as a reliever and a starter. Even if none of them net a major return, the Nationals' hope is that those deals can strengthen the farm system as they look ahead.
'My goal in this role, whether it's interim or otherwise, is to build a competitive team every year,' DeBartolo said. 'As frustrating as it is to see where we are this year, my goal is to build future competitive teams and be in that playoff mix. So that's what my focus is over the next few weeks — whatever we can do to bolster the future outlook of the Nationals and get in that playoff race as soon as we can.'