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Around 2:15 this afternoon, with rain falling in the nation’s capital and not expected to stop any time soon, the Washington Nationals announced that GM Mike Rizzo would meet with reporters at 3:00 PM EDT.
That’s not the sort of things that gets set up if nothing is going to happen. And shortly after that announcement it all started happening...
Multiple sources are reporting a fire sale is in progress with the early reports saying Daniel Murphy (who is in the final year of a 3-year/$37.5M deal with the Nationals) has been dealt to the Cubs, and Matt Adams is likely going to be traded to the St. Louis Cardinals.
Both those deals are official now:
Official: #Nationals acquired IF Andruw Monasterio and a player to be named later or cash considerations from the #Cubs in exchange for second baseman Daniel Murphy. In addition, the #Nats traded 1B Matt Adams to the #Cardinals for cash considerations.
— federalbaseball (@federalbaseball) August 21, 2018
Sources: Nationals fire sale is beginning. Multiple trades are being finalized.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) August 21, 2018
#Cubs acquiring Daniel Murphy from the #Nationals, sources tell The Athletic.
— Robert Murray (@ByRobertMurray) August 21, 2018
Sources: Nationals are dealing Matt Adams to the Cardinals.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) August 21, 2018
Sources: Cubs and Nationals are believed to be close to a deal for Daniel Murphy.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) August 21, 2018
cardinals are in on matt Adams. could be deal with nats.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) August 21, 2018
prospect Andruw monasterio is going to nats for murphy
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) August 21, 2018
According to Fancred’s Jon Heyman, the return on Murphy from the Cubs is a 21-year-old minor league infielder, Andruw Monasterio, who has a .263/.359/.336 line with 14 doubles, two triples, and three home runs in 109 games and 436 plate appearances at High-A Myrtle Beach this season. Monasterio is not currently listed in the Cubs’ Top 30 prospects on MLB Pipeline, but Murphy, who received a qualifying offer from the NY Mets before he signed in D.C., couldn’t be given another qualifying offer (because rules) so the Nationals got what they could in return rather than letting him walk for nothing if he left via free agency this winter.
According to a subsequent report from Heyman, the Nationals also received cash considerations or a PTBNL in the deal with the Cubbies.
Adams, according to a report by Heyman, is going back to the St. Louis Cardinals in return for cash considerations after he signed a 1-year/$4M deal with the Nationals this winter.
The Nationals held firm at the non-waiver deadline with Rizzo telling reporters that he still believed in the team, but three weeks later, with the team 7.5 games out in the NL East and 6.5 back in the race for the second Wild Card, they’ve apparently conceded the race for a postseason spot... or think they can do it what they have left...
Also there’s this, take it FWIW, though as you’ll see in the second tweet below, it looks like nothing will happen there:
I'm told the Dodgers are the "mystery team" that claimed Bryce Harper on revocable waivers.
— Grant Paulsen (@granthpaulsen) August 21, 2018
sources: waivers have expired on Bryce harper. he is staying with nats.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) August 21, 2018
More information when it’s available...