A 6-3 loss to the Phillies came after Washington’s third major trade, sending Foster Griffin to the Guardians.
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PHILADELPHIA — The Washington Nationals players tried to go about their business as normally as possible Monday afternoon, even as the minutes ticked closer and closer to the 6 p.m. trade deadline.
They carefully sidestepped around Foster Griffin in the clubhouse, who sat facing away from his teammates, his fingers tapping constantly on his phone as his future hung in the air. On the field, the coaches huddled together on the third base line in a tight discussion. Manager Blake Butera stepped away multiple times to pick up calls, then periodically checked his phone in between batting practice throws. As players ran through the dugout, they asked for the time, noting how many minutes were left.
The Nationals had already said goodbye to Curtis Mead, one of the team’s most productive bats, after he was traded to the Boston Red Sox on July 25. On Sunday night, the Nats had an emotional parting with Luis García Jr., the longest-tenured player on the team. Players shared one last plane ride together from Atlanta to Philadelphia, then lined up to hug him one by one before García got in a car to New York to join the Yankees.
“I’m really sad to see him leave, especially everything that he’s gone through with this organization,” Andrés Chaparro said through an interpreter before the Nationals’ 6-3 loss to the Phillies on Monday night. “He’s a guy that brought a lot of energy and a lot of happiness to this clubhouse. He will be missed.”
Thirty minutes before the clock struck 6 p.m., and just over an hour before Washington opened a four-game series in Philadelphia, the team made one last trade, sending Griffin to the Cleveland Guardians. The deal brought back three pitchers — left-handers Josh Hartle and Will Dion and right-hander Kendeglys Virguez — as well as outfielder Nick Mitchell.
Some players found out about the move from media that was gathered watching batting practice. It was not a surprise to anyone. Griffin is a free agent after this season, and after the García trade, it was all but a given that Griffin would be moved, too.
“It’s sad losing Foster,” said Andrew Alvarez, who was able to sneak in a quick goodbye before his start Monday. “He’s been an awesome mentor to me, someone who I’ve looked up to a lot, and I’ve picked his brain a lot. I feel like watching him and just talking to him in the dugout and everything that he’s about, I feel like I’ve learned so much.”
The Nationals were, until last week, undecided on their positioning at the deadline, president of baseball operations Paul Toboni said. Washington is unexpectedly in the playoff picture for the first time in years.
When the team left Wednesday for Atlanta, Toboni told two-time all-star shortstop CJ Abrams that there was less than a 10 percent chance that they were trading him. He’s important to the franchise, Toboni said, and it would have taken a massive deal to even make them consider moving him.
The Nationals didn’t have the same level of clarity when it came to other trade candidates. A five-game losing streak, including being swept by the Atlanta Braves, put them three games under .500 and 4.5 games out of the third wild-card spot.
Even if the Nats had fared better during that stretch, they still probably wouldn’t have gone crazy, Toboni said. “I think realistically, we would still have been threading the needle between buying and selling,” he said.
The Nationals still don’t think they are out of it. But if they make a run, they’ll have to do so without three of their most valuable players.
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As Butera told his players, the Nationals don’t want the team to view this as the organization giving up on the season. Some of the pitchers acquired will help their pitching staff, which began the day with the fourth-highest ERA in MLB, right away. One acquisition, Yovanny Cruz, was added to the active roster Monday. Connelly Early will join the rotation once he’s cleared from his elbow inflammation, and Jake Bird, who was with the team Monday but not active, could also be in the mix.
Washington has had other tests this season, outfielder Jacob Young noted, and has always found a way to bounce back.
“There’s still 50 games left, plenty of games to make up four games,” Young said. “Most of that lineup that did get us here is still here. … As long as we can get back to doing what we’ve been doing the whole year, except for those four games, we’re in a fine spot.”
But Monday’s loss once again highlighted how far the Nationals still have to go — and just how dire the need is for those pitching acquisitions.
The Nationals got out to a 3-0 lead. Abimelec Ortiz, recalled earlier in the day to replace García, hit his first career home run off Aaron Nola in the first inning. In the second inning, Daylen Lile went deep as well, driving in Keibert Ruiz.
The Nationals had planned on a bullpen game, but with Alvarez on full rest and dealing, they left him in for 6⅓ innings. Bench coach Michael Johns ended up retrieving him — Butera was ejected in the top of the seventh after arguing that Nasim Nuñez was interfered with during a rundown. Butera said he understood the explanation but did not agree with it.
When he turned around, he saw the home plate umpire yelling at his dugout. Butera wanted none of that, so he went to defend his team. He was tossed, his first career ejection.
So Johns sent out Tom Cosgrove with runners on first and second and one out. The left-hander walked Edmundo Sosa to load the bases, and Derek Hill’s grand slam gave the Phillies a 4-3 lead. Bryce Harper added a two-run homer in the eighth off Clayton Beeter to nail down the loss for the Nationals.
After the game, with Griffin’s locker now cleaned out, the clubhouse was silent as the stress of the deadline and the burden of a season-high six-game losing streak hit. The post-deadline Nationals will try again Tuesday, when the emotions of the deadline won’t be as fresh.
“I think just obviously with all the question marks leading up to the deadline, it just felt like there was a weight lifted off these guys’ shoulders once game time rolled around,” Butera said. “It’s frustrating the way it ended.”
Note: James Wood hurt his left side in the sixth inning. He will have imaging done Tuesday to determine the severity of the injury.
Read more Nationals trade breakout starter Foster Griffin to Guardians
