MLB Rumors: This Team’s Clubhouse Is ‘A Mess’ Before Trade Deadline

The Nationals have vastly underachieved this season, to the point where Washington even could consider selling pieces off before Tuesday’s Major League Baseball non-waiver trade deadline.

Injuries deserve a lot of blame for Washington’s struggles, but it sounds like there are other problems brewing in the nation’s capital.

“The clubhouse is a mess,” a source told Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Passan.

This statement was corroborated by three others who spoke to Yahoo Sports on the condition of anonymity out of fear the organization would punish them for speaking publicly, according to Passan.

The Nationals entered this week one game under .500 (52-53) and in third place in the National League East behind the Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves.

Losing can hurt clubhouse chemistry, especially for a team that was expected to be among MLB’s best this season. But Passan’s sources agreed the Nationals’ internal turmoil isn’t solely a product of the club’s surprising lack of success. Instead, the sources told Passan, it’s something that’s festered throughout the season, and some of the blame reportedly falls on manager Dave Martinez.

Martinez took over as Washington’s skipper this past offseason after the Nationals declined to renew Dusty Baker’s contract. Baker led the Nats to back-to-back division titles, while sources told Passan that a number of players feel marginalized under Martinez.

Will this seemingly disastrous set of circumstances force the Nationals to act before the deadline, perhaps even causing them to consider trading superstar Bryce Harper, who’s set to become a free agent after this season? It’s entirely possible with Washington sitting six games back in the division and in the race for the NL’s second wild-card spot.

Talk about a letdown in D.C.