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MLB Insider Names Nationals' Single Biggest Trade Priority Ahead of Deadline

By Larry Rupp

An MLB insider has named the Washington Nationals' single biggest trade priority ahead of the deadline.
An MLB insider has named the Washington Nationals' single biggest trade priority ahead of the deadline. / Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
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It's gone downhill for the Washington Nationals since they won the World Series in 2019. They are on pace for their first 100-loss season in over a decade and sit at the bottom of the NL East division. All signs point to manager Dave Martinez's squad being a seller at the upcoming MLB trade deadline.

Washington Nationals Trade Rumors

The Nationals have a few veterans on the roster they could part with in order to better position the team for a rebuild. That includes slugger Nelson Cruz and reliever Carl Edwards Jr. ESPN's David Schoenfield suggests selling high on powerful first baseman Josh Bell is the best way to go, though.

Bell has done nothing but mash in 2022 and is on pace to best the numbers he put up in his 2019 All-Star season. The 29-year-old is tied for ninth in the majors with a .315 batting average while playing in every single game for Washington. Bell has also logged 44 runs scored, 12 home runs and 47 RBI.

Keeping a player like that around would seem like a smart move for the Nationals, but Bell is set to hit free agency in the offseason. It's highly unlikely he would re-sign with Washington. That makes the idea of trading him to a contender while his value is still at an all-time high an intriguing option.

A number of teams could use a bat like Bell including the San Diego Padres, Houston Astros and Boston Red Sox. Getting the best return possible is now a top priority for the Nationals. Washington has odds set t +500000 to win the World Series, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

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Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel. 

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