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Off-The-Field Recap: Trade Fever!

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The Washington Nationals visited some old friends this week, splitting a series with the San Francisco Giants and former National Denard Span, and decidedly sweeping the Arizona Diamondbacks, for whom former manager Matt Williams coaches third base. It was a busy week with the non-waiver trade deadline smack in the middle and an off day sprinkled in for good measure and extra off-field escapades. Anthony Rendon got kids to the eye exams, the Nats met Willie Mays, and we all said goodbye to Felipe Rivero and his infinite potential to welcome sturdy veteran closer Mark Melancon.

1. Getting called up to the Show is often described as a whirlwind of emotion, even if it isn’t the player’s first trip. Despite whatever whirlwind Pedro Severino was experiencing, like any self-respecting millennial, he posted his sharp suit to commemorate the occasion. Severino was called up by the Nats to replace injured Jose Lobaton, so Severino has some home run helmet removing skills to sharpen up on.

2. Trea Turner was also recently called up. Turner is still making ballpark debuts at every turn, including one at AT&T Park. He posted this shot of his first day at the San Francisco stadium, including a view of McCovey Cove, which he’d probably be able to walk on given the speed he’s been showing off.

San Fran! 🌁

A photo posted by Trea Turner (@tvturner) on


3. The Nationals, who always seem to be in need of a more reliable closer, traded Rivero and minor league pitcher Taylor Hearn for Melancon on Saturday. From an off-field standpoint, the Nats gained a somewhat active tweeter and a “Jesus Believer, Husband, Father, Strike thrower, & thrill seeker,” according to his twitter bio. The team lost, however, the Felipe slidestep, and one adorable (probably not a baby anymore) baby.

At the very least, both tweeted goodbyes to their former teams.

Miss you already, Felipe. Don’t choke any MVPs, Mark.

4. There are a lot of perks of having Dusty Baker as your manager. The stories, the Dusty-isms, and the general competence all pale in comparison, though, to the chance to meet Willie Mays. Actually, most things probably pale in comparison to meeting Willie Mays. Most of the Nationals sound like they might just agree. Ryan Zimmerman even had his picture tweeted from his ziMS Foundation account.


5. Though it seems like Wilson Ramos might have more experience in the eyesight improvement department, it was Anthony Rendon who organized a “vision event” for Nationals Youth Baseball Academy scholar-athletes to receive free eye exams and glasses as needed. Kids got their eye care and a presumably smiley selfie with Rendon.


6. It’s not under wraps that Bryce Harper and Kayla Varner are happily engaged again. The engagement has already brought about many adorable instagrams and sneak peeks at ring details. It’s also thankfully allowed for Harper to post a thirty minute Facebook livestream of himself, Varner, and his parents trolleying around San Francisco. There’s lots of Bryce and Kayla loving each other and learning the correct way to park on hilly roads, if that’s your thing.

7. Off days bring out social media posts from even the most laid back of Nationals players, to which I will attribute Heather Zimmerman’s instagram post of herself and Ryan out at a circus. The sign behind the two young parents reads “Cabinet of Curiosities” in French, which makes sense because Ryan at a circus is about as big of a curiosity as it gets.

8. Wilson Ramos did not have another baby. I say this just in case you were sent into a confused spiral after seeing a picture of a baby on Ramos’ Instagram feed with congratulations filling the comments. Have no fear, Willy did not hide a pregnancy from the world/social media. His daughter, the “Buffalita,” has turned two. In the caption, Wilson writes “I will always take care of your heart and protect you with my life, my beautiful girl,” because he is not only the most clutch bunter of all time, but also the most adorable dad.


9. On Wednesday, Daniel Murphy made sure that Dan Kolko wouldn’t come looking for him on his off day because he’d be at the pool with his wife and kids. According to Bryce Harper’s instagram, Harper and Murphy were either simply on the same page or Harper actually tagged along with Murph and his kids to the pool. If Harper did accompany Murph, he was probably able to teach his young kids a lot about life lessons involving pool selfie #aesthetics.


10. Jail can teach a person a lot they may or may not want to know, like how to make a shank from a toothbrush or how to effectively kidnap a gnome. Jayson Werth evidently picked up the latter during his time in the slammer, and honestly, we are all better for it. In the midst of a loss to the Giants, Dan Kolko reported on the intense hostage situation the Werth had created by stealing a fan’s Bruce Bochy garden gnome. It was the kind of hard hitting journalism we all have come to expect from the reporter.

Last and least, the Tweets of the week:

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Mina Dunn

I watched the Orioles until I was ten when I realized that (most) fans at RFK didn’t shout letters during the National Anthem. I’m a Public Relations and Economics major at VCU, the associate managing editor at TNB, and a sports columnist for a student newspaper. Be my friend on Twitter dot com: @maddc8.

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