At the time of the Juan Soto trade, Robert Hassell III was seen as one of the safest pieces in the package. He was a top 40 prospect, who had done nothing but rake his entire career. The outfielder was a former top 10 pick who was racing his way through the lower minors. There were some questions about how much power he had and what his defensive home would be, but nobody questioned his ability to hit.
However, things have changed over the past 2.5 years. After a slow start to life in the Nats organization, Hassell broke his hamate in the 2022 Arizona Fall League.