Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a study of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of one of the most plugged-in Washington Nationals fans and followers throughout the nation. Join right here to participate in the weekly emailed right into Tuesday night's video game, Lane Thomas, 27, and with 2 years of team control after this season, placed fourth in the National League in hits with 116), fifth in batting standard a. 293 AVG), was linked for 4th in increases 26 ), and placed 10th in the NL in runs scored 67 ). He also led the National League and was connected for second in MLB) with a career-high 10 outfield aids on the year he included his 11th very early in the video game, throwing away an additional go for keystone). Gotten in a target date offer in 2021 directly up from St. Louis for Jon Lester), Thomas was 2nd on the group in fWAR prior to Tuesday's game 2 https://www.nationalsshorts.com/Luis_Garcia_Jr_Shorts. 4 fWAR), behind only his colleague Jeimer Candelario, that's playing out an one-year bargain and appears to be one of the most likely to be dealt at the upcoming August 1st) Profession Due Date, with a bounce-back season thus far for the third baseman. 257/. 335/. 486, 28 increases, 16 home runs, and 2. 9 fWAR through 93 games and 350 plate appearances). "Everybody on expiring [contracts-- those decisions are fairly simple," GM Mike Rizzo stated in a chat with reporters during a current journey to Chicago. "That was the choice we made with Max [Scherzer in 2021 That elements right into it. You have a good gamer, a great All-Star-caliber kind of gamer in Lane Thomas, and you have him for 2 more periods hereafter. Certain, that makes it a lot more difficult to trade. That's code name for 'We would certainly need to get a good return. '"And a "excellent return" in Rizzo's opinion, for a fairly young, budget-friendly $2. 2 M this season), controlled outfielder having an outbreak season? An additional team needs to see what the GM in D. C. sees in Thomas for any type of bargain to make feeling. "The complicated component is returning the worth you desire for them," Rizzo explained. "I see Lane Thomas as having an All-Star first fifty percent of the season. He's got devices, he's young, and he's a terrific gamer. "If an additional team views him only as a part-time or bench gamer, we won't have a deal. "However if someone views him as the way I see him and the method our personnel views him," he said, ".. then we 'd have a discussion. "As just recently as last September, obviously, Rizzo was speaking about Thomas as a potential key piece on a future champion competitor. "I believe that some people sort of looked laterally at us when we claimed that Lane Thomas was an item of the future," Rizzo informed 106. 7 the FAN in D. C. 's Sports Junkies late last period. "We constantly claim the following championship-caliber club-- a guy like Lane Thomas ought to be a part of it, because he's a great player, specifically versus left-handed pitching, he's actually happening against right-handed pitching, he can play good defense, and he runs the bases well, he's really quickly. "That's a piece of a championship-caliber club. "So.. if you're GM Mike Rizzo and some group available provides a "good return", would you try to trade Lane Thomas prior to August 1, 2023's Profession Due date?