The Washington Nationals all but punted on their playoff aspirations Tuesday afternoon, trading veteran left-handed sluggers Daniel Murphy and Matt Adams to National League teams that have far better postseason chances.
And the third-place Nationals got nothing in return to help their current squad, which entered Tuesday 62-63 and 7.5 games back of the first-place Atlanta Braves in the National League East.
Owner Mark D. Lerner said the “time has come for us to make decisions that will bolster our roster for next season and beyond.”
In an open letter to fans, Lerner said, “This is not a rebuilding effort.