It’s been a long six years for the Washington Nationals since they won the franchise’s only World Series title. The NL East squad has finished in fourth or fifth place in each season since, and the Nationals are on pace to do the same this year, too.
At 32-46, the Nats are tied with the Miami Marlins for last place in the division – both teams are 15 games back of the Philadelphia Phillies nearly halfway through the 2025 season. As such, it’s likely that the Nationals will be sellers before the July 31 trade deadline.
One player who could be moved is closer Kyle Finnegan. Over the past three seasons, the 33-year-old righthander has emerged as one of the top relievers, and it helps that the 2024 All Star is enjoying his best season to date so far, as his 18 saves rank second in the NL.
BetVirginia.com, your go-to source for Virginia sports betting promos and reviews, has created odds on the teams likely to trade for the six-year veteran. These odds are for infotainment purposes only. You won’t find them at any licensed Virginia sportsbook, such DraftKings.
Outcome | Odds | Percent Chance |
Stay with Washington Nationals | +100 | 50.0% |
New York Mets | +600 | 14.3% |
Philadelphia Phillies | +750 | 11.8% |
Cincinnati Reds | +1000 | 9.1% |
Toronto Blue Jays | +2000 | 4.8% |
The Field | +900 | 10.0% |
The 47-31 Phillies may be in first place and may only be a half-game back of the Los Angeles Dodgers for the best record in the National League. However, if there’s one need the Phils have, it’s in the bullpen. According to TeamRankings.com, five pitchers have combined to total 14 blown saves, and for now, there’s no clear closer manager Rob Thomson can rely on to finish games.
Those bullpen issue may be keeping the Phillies from having shorter odds to win the World Series. BetMGM has them as the fifth choice with odds of +1000. The Mets are just ahead of them at +900. For those wondering, the Nationals are one of five teams that have the third longest odds, +50000, on the board.
However, not all teams trading for closers don’t necessarily need someone to save games. Instead, they may just be looking to shore up their bullpens.
In Cincinnati, Emilio Pagan has locked down the closer role for the Reds, but the team has blown a ninth inning lead five times already this season. That’s the most according to ChampsorChumps.com. With the Reds three games back in the Wild Card standings, continuing to blow leads could prevent their return to the postseason.
Aside from the 18 saves, which tie him with Pagan for second in the NL – three behind Padres closer Robert Suarez, Finnegan is 0-2 with a 2.96 ERA over 27-1/3 innings pitched. As is the case for some relievers, the ERA can be a little misleading. His ERA nearly ballooned by a full run after he allowed three runs in a 6-4 loss to Colorado on June 16.
After earning 11 saves in both 2021 and 2022, Finnegan broke into the top 10 in the category in 2023. His 28 saves that season ranked seventh, and last season, he finished second with 38. In all, his 106 saves rank 12th among all active pitchers.
USA Today photo by Denis Poroy.
Author
Steve is an accomplished, award-winning reporter with more than 20 years of experience covering gaming, sports, politics and business. He has written for the Associated Press, Reuters, The Louisville Courier Journal, The Center Square and numerous other publications. Based in Louisville, Ky., Steve has covered the expansion of sports betting in the U.S. and other gaming matters.
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