The Washington Nationals will cut ties with a former first-rounder who was part of the Juan Soto blockbuster deal in 2022. Mark Zuckerman of Nats Journal reports that the team has selected right-hander Eddie Yean. Outfielder Robert Hassell III has been designated for assignment.
Hassell, 24, was one of many prospects that the Nationals acquired from the San Diego Padres for Soto. This comes a day after two other players in the trade, James Wood and CJ Abrams, were named National League All-Stars.
The Nationals have seven days to either trade, release, or outright Hassell to the minor leagues. Considering his draft and prospect pedigree, there should be interest from teams looking to jump the waiver wire.
Robert Hassell III DFA’d by Nationals
Robert Hassell III is a former first-rounder by the Padres in the 2020 MLB Draft. Two seasons later, he was dealt to the Nationals in the biggest blockbuster trade in the last 10 seasons.
Hassell’s only experience with the Nationals came in 2025. Due to injuries and Dylan Crews‘ struggles at the plate, he got an opportunity to play every day. But he couldn’t quite make the most of it.
In 70 games, he slashed .223/.257/.315 with three home runs. Overall, he was a below-replacement player and was squeezed out of the outfield mix this season.
The 24-year-old has spent the entire 2026 season with Triple-A Rochester. He’s just hitting .215 with a .593 OPS at that level. With Hassell falling out of favor, the Nationals have run an outfield of Daylen Lile, Jacob Young, James Wood, and Dylan Crews.
Revisiting the Juan Soto Blockbuster From 2022
GettyThe Nationals dealt Juan Soto to the Padres in 2022 to start their rebuild.
The Nationals dealt Juan Soto ahead of the 2022 trade deadline. With the club embarking on a rebuild and Soto rejecting a long-term offer, they sought the type of return they needed to accelerate that rebuild.
Washington received left-hander MacKenzie Gore, James Wood, CJ Abrams, Robert Hassell III, and Jarlin Susana. First baseman Josh Bell also went to San Diego.
It hasn’t quite worked out for the club in the standings, although they’ve made strides this season. They have a winning record after their first 90 games at 46-44. They’re still on the periphery of Wild Card contention.
With Gore having just two seasons left and no clear idea when they’d be back in contention, the Nationals dealt him to the Texas Rangers for another prospect package. As a result, the Soto blockbuster will now be determined by what the club gets out of prospects such as Gavin Fien and Devin Fitz-Gerald.
Susana is the wild card in this deal. The hard-throwing right-hander has since moved to a full-time relief role. Susana has put up big strikeout numbers at every stop and projects as a back-of-the-bullpen arm long-term. He’ll need to be pushing for a 40-man spot once he returns from a lat injury.
Summing up the return four years later, the Nationals have gotten value out of the trade. The top three players from the deal were named All-Stars, but it hasn’t translated to postseason contention yet.
The good news for Washington is that the window the deal could create has not closed yet. Abrams is under control through the 2028 season. That gives president of baseball operations Paul Toboni a timeframe on how quickly he needs to make the Nationals a postseason contender.
Washington Nationals Cut Ties With Outfielder Acquired in Juan Soto Blockbuster During Pirates Series