The situation puts the Nationals sitting squarely on the fence as the trade deadline approaches, yet a .500 record on July 25 is worlds better than expected for a rebuilding club that was expected to be one of the worst in baseball. [Related: Nationals Trade Deadline Outlook]It’s a logical stance to take for a .500 club, especially one that could still get on track if the Nationals could get even an average level of pitching. Since Abrams is under arbitration control through 2028 and Garcia through 2027, however, the Nationals aren’t necessarily under any pressure to move either player by the deadline. Unless another club emerges with a knockout trade offer, Washington could keep Abrams and Garcia to see how things play out in 2026 before potentially revisiting trade talks during the winter. Any of Abrams, Garcia, or Griffin would be major gets for another contender, so plenty of teams will surely be monitoring the Nationals to see how their fluid deadline plans continue to evolve.