Wire Taps: Bryce Harper stays; Nationals trade Brandon Kintzler; Trea Turner apologizes

So, yesterday was eventful.

Here’s the news from Nationals Park:

Nats hang on to Bryce Harper at deadline as Mike Rizzo bets on horses he rode in on (WaPo)
Mike Rizzo ultimately trusted the guys that made the Nationals the powerhouse they are today, holding on to Bryce Harper and sending Brandon Kintzler away because they believed he was the source of anonymous reports that said the Nationals clubhouse was problematic.

Trea Turner, in a tearful news conference, takes ‘full responsibility’ for his past tweets (WaPo)
“A lot of times people says kids look up to you the most,” Turner said. “But there’s plenty of adults that have reached out to me that gave their side of the story... It’s much larger.”

Nationals make only one trade at Deadline (MLB)
Rizzo acknowledged that he discussed Harper with other teams, but ultimately decided that keeping the band together for a few more months was the best thing he could do. Rizzo said he traded Kintzler because it the bullpen was a position of strength, though Kintzler was surprised when he was traded.

Cubs acquire Brandon Kintzler from Nationals (MLB Daily Dish)
Kintzler went to the Cubs in exchange for Jhon Romero, who isn't a top-30 prospect for the Cubs. He has a 3.27 ERA at high-A ball.

Non-Trade Gives Bryce Harper One More Chance to Rewrite Nationals Legacy (Bleacher Report)
The Nats ultimately decided to hang on to Bryce Harper, which is as loud of as a statement as acquiring a big piece would have been. Now, he has a chance to lead the Nats down the stretch to the playoffs, which an AL scout said wasn't an outlandish idea.

Red Sox Pursued Trade For Kelvin Herrera (MLBTR)
"Add the Nationals’ Kelvin Herrera to the group of relievers who landed on the Red Sox’s radar, as Alex Speier of the Boston Globe and Rob Bradford of WEEI tweet that the team had been after the right-hander."

Trea Turner addresses controversial tweets (MLB)
Turner met with the Nationals before apologizing to the LGBTQIA, African-American and special needs communities in front of the media.

Selling was the Right Move for the Nationals (Fangraphs)
The Nationals could have done whatever they wanted to with Bryce Harper, but it still doesn't fix anything with their rotation, which has a 5.40 ERA since June 1 outside of Max Scherzer's performance. Moreover, teams with 50-54 wins at this point don't make the playoffs too often. In other words, the odds weren't in the Nationals' favor, but they went ahead anyways. (Note: this piece was written before Harper went off the block.)

Shawn Kelley says he ‘acted like a baby’ during his ninth-inning outburst (WaPo)
Kelley said his frustration was directed at umpires, not anyone else, when he chucked his glove on to the ground after allowing three runs.

Nationals score 25 runs against the Mets
It's the most runs in a major league game since the Rangers dropped 30 on the Orioles in 2007.

Trea Turner begins long road to earning back reputation after offensive tweets - (Yahoo!)
Turner did not offer excuses, nor did he mince words at his press conference. It was the right start. "It's not when I said the things that I said, it's that I said them at all," Turner said. The Nationals backed up those comments, but also added that they support Turner as he attempts to move forward.