Robert

Hassell III

Both players are now not eligible for the Rule 5 Draft in December. Hassell was one of the top prospects acquired from the Padres in the deal for Juan Soto, but hasn’t lived up to expectations just yet. Lara is one of the better pitching prospects in the Washington system, and both certainly would have had interest in the draft next month.

Hassell, the eighth overall pick in the 2020 draft, is coming off another disappointing season, though at least his .729 OPS in 60 games in Double-A was his highest mark that he’s had at any stop since the Nationals got him from the Padres in the Juan Soto deal. The Nats have to decide in the coming weeks whether it’s worth protecting him from the Rule 5 draft. One imagines they will, since they’re not really hurting for spots on the 40-man at this point, but it might come down to how he performs in the AFL.

The trio of Wood, Crews and Hasell are the headliners here with House not too far behind as part of Washington’s likely future nucleus at the highest level. It’s notable that Trey Lipscomb is still in big-league camp with spring training winding down.

Hassell came over from the Padres in the Juan Soto trade and was off to a good start in the spring, hitting .357/..412/.786 with one home run and two steals in 12 games. The 22-year-old was likely to start the season in Triple-A with a chance at an early call-up, and this injury only seems to make that more likely. Once the MRI results are in, it will be clearer what his timeline for recovery is.

Hassell figures to reach the big leagues at some point this season, but he’s likely ticketed for Triple-A Rochester to open the year.

Wood was one of the prospects who came to the Nationals in the Juan Soto trade back in 2022, and he has emerged as one of the top prospects in the minors. In 87 games at Double-A Harrisburg last year, Wood hit .248/.334/.492 with 18 home runs and 10 steals while just 20 years old. He figures to start 2024 at Triple-A and his prodigious power could give him a real chance to force his way into the Nationals’ outfield. The same could be said for fellow OF Robert Hassell III, who also came over in the Soto trade and played the majority of 2023 in Double-A. “We’re not going to block guys,” said Nationals General Manager Mike Rizzo. “We’ve never had a problem with moving players quickly to the big leagues if they can perform up there. And we’ll have no qualms about putting them there now.” If one, or both, of Wood and Hassell III show that they’re ready early in the 2024 season, it seems likely that they’ll get their shot.

It was a surprise to see Hassell left off the Nationals’ list of non-roster invitees, as top prospects with Double-A experience typically get that nod and then an early March demotion. That the 21-year-old Hassell didn’t is apparently partly related to the injury. Part of the Juan Soto trade with the Padres, he hit .273/.357/.407 in the minors last season.

The good news is that Hassell’s timeline shouldn’t prevent him from missing any spring training. The top prospect in the Nationals’ system and a key part of the Juan Soto trade, Hassell struggled in his time in the Washington organizational after the deal, but has the skill set to be a fantasy start someday. He should get a chance to make his debut by the end of the 2023 campaign -- assuming good health, of course.

Hassell III is considered the top prospect left in the Padres’ system and has hit a robust .299/.379/.467 with 10 homers and 20 steals in 346 plate appearances this season at High-A Fort Wayne. The 20-year-old outfielder, who was selected eighth overall in the 2020 MLB Draft, could be one of the key pieces of the Nationals’ rebuilding effort.

It’s potentially one of the most monumental trades in baseball history as Soto will team up with Padres’ franchise cornerstone Fernando Tatis Jr. to anchor San Diego’s lineup for at least the next two-plus seasons before reaching free agency at the end of the 2024 campaign. The 23-year-old offensive force has already established himself as a generational slugger with a sublime .291/.427/.538 batting line with 119 home runs and 38 steals in 565 games since 2018. He leads the majors in walks with an astounding 91 free passes this season, in addition to racking up 21 home runs and six steals in 436 plate appearances. This is the definition of a historic trade.