Nationals buy-and-sell at Aug. 3 deadline; A's sign Keuchel
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- Nationals plan to both buy and sell at the Aug. 3 MLB trade deadline, sitting 52-52 and just three games out of a playoff spot — new president of baseball operations Paul Toboni will weigh pitching additions against dealing away star pieces like Foster Griffin and C.J. Abrams, who are drawing interest from other clubs per The Athletic.
- Foster Griffin's extension talks with the Nationals "fizzled quickly" per the New York Post, even as the 30-year-old posted an 11-2 record with a 2.68 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 111 strikeouts in 117⅓ innings on a one-year, $5.5 million deal after a stint in Japan.
- Dallas Keuchel signed a minor-league deal with the Athletics per ESPN, with the 38-year-old former Cy Young winner not having pitched in the majors since a four-start Brewers stint in 2024 that produced a 5.40 ERA.
- Keuchel went 2-1 with a 3.53 ERA in seven Triple-A starts with the Royals organization in 2025 and has not pitched in affiliated ball this season.
- The MLB trade deadline market is heavily tilted toward sellers, with only 8 of 30 teams more than four games out of a playoff spot, leaving many contenders in limbo as the final week before Aug. 3 plays out.
Why it matters: Washington's front office is threading a needle between rebuilding and contending at the Aug. 3 deadline while sitting 52-52 — three games out of a playoff spot — a hedged stance few teams are positioned to take. With only 8 of 30 clubs genuinely out of it, the Keuchel minor-league signing by the A's shows how veteran depth deals are filling the margins of a tight seller's market.
