Finnegan is easily Nationals' biggest trade deadline dilemma

As Tuesday’s trade deadline draws ever closer, the biggest dilemma facing the Nationals has become crystal clear: Whether or not to deal Kyle Finnegan.

Most of the other decisions Mike Rizzo faces over the next six days are pretty clear cut. Jesse Winker and Dylan Floro are here on one-year deals and will most likely be traded for the best available offers. Trevor Williams and Joey Gallo are still on the injured list and unlikely to return until sometime in August at best, so that takes both veterans out of the equation. Lane Thomas’ fate isn’t certain, but the emergence of Jacob Young in center field and the fact Dylan Crews is going to be big-league-ready very soon gives Rizzo plenty of reason to see what he can get for his 28-year-old right fielder.

But then there’s Finnegan, who is sure to draw interest from contending teams and could command a high asking price but also could very much still be a critical part of a Nationals team that hopes to win in 2025.

The pros and cons for trading the All-Star closer:

PRO: On the heels of a dominant first half, and with one-plus years of club control attached to his name, his value may never be higher. Finnegan ranks among the league leaders in saves, ERA and WHIP, and he’s been a consistently dominant presence at the end of games. Fourteen of his 28 saves have come with completely clean innings, with nobody reaching base against him, second-most in the majors behind the Cardinals’ Ryan Helsley.

CON: He’s under club control for another year, and would be an integral player to have on the roster as the Nationals hope to transition back into a contending team after what figures to be five straight losing seasons since they won the World Series.

PRO: The market for a premier closer should be strong, with a number of contenders seeking late-inning help. The Royals already showed how willing they were to part with their No. 2 prospect and the No. 39 pick in the draft in order to acquire Hunter Harvey. Finnegan, in theory, should command at least the same return, if not more. All it takes is two teams to start a bidding war.

CON: If the Nationals trade Finnegan, after already trading Harvey and likely trading Floro, their bullpen will be in shambles the rest of this season. And they’ll have to start all over again this winter, perhaps forced to spend big bucks on a free agent closer who might well end up costing more than Finnegan will get in his final year of arbitration.

PRO: Relievers are such a fickle bunch, there’s no telling if Finnegan will continue to pitch this well the rest of this year or next. And though he’s remained remarkably healthy throughout his career, there’s always the chance he gets hurt one of these days and loses all his value.

CON: Where else are you going to find a proven closer with a spotless injury history? Finnegan has never come close to sniffing the injured list in nearly five seasons with the Nationals. He takes great care of his body, and there’s plenty of reason to believe that won’t change in the next year-plus.

It really presents quite the dilemma, doesn’t it? Few players are as coveted at the trade deadline as a good closer, and Rizzo of all people should know that. That makes Finnegan incredibly valuable right now.

But is he more valuable to other teams or to the Nationals themselves? If they really do believe they can win in 2025, they’re not going to do it without somebody reliable pitching the ninth inning.

Given how hard it’s been for this organization over the years to develop or sign one of those guys, are they really about to deal away the one they finally discovered on their own?