Going Deep with The Nats

On January 10, 2023, we broke the news to the baseball world that the Washington Nationals had moved to a No Sale mode, and the only reason the team technically remained for sale for a few months longer was because the team was under contract with the investment banking firm of Allen & Co. That source who gave us that scoop, messaged us yesterday to give us the real scoop behind the scenes on some scathing reports of the owner-GM situation that was in the news from a local media person. We felt like we received a good grasp of the facts vs. the fiction from our source.

Remember when Washington Nationals’ principal owner Mark Lerner was photographed with his former-World Series outfielder, Juan Soto, before Dylan Crews‘ MLB debut game? Many thought that was a good sign that the Nationals had a shot to sign Soto. That shot was served in a highball glass with a jolt of reality and a bitter lemon.

Maybe the the consolation prize on Soto was not falling in the trap of the Yankees, thinking they could retain him for the rest of his career. They failed to extend his contract and then couldn’t sign him as a free agent. All the Yankees got for their going-away present was a compensatory draft pick after the third round. But the Bronx Bombers also had to endure the embarrassment of seeing Soto go across the borough to Queens. At least the Nats got an absolute queen’s haul of MacKenzie Gore, CJ Abrams, James Wood who combined for +6.3 WAR last year — and Wood only played half the season! Add to the haul the two other players the Nats received in the trade with Top-100 prospect Jarlin Susana and former Top-100 prospect Robert Hassell III.