With the distinct possibility that the trade market will lack power-hitting options, infielder Luis García Jr.’s breakout season with the Washington Nationals presents an intriguing opportunity.Multiple teams are expressing interest in acquiring García in a trade, said people familiar with the situation who were granted anonymity in exchange for candor.Any talks between the Nationals and other clubs regarding García, however, remain in a preliminary stage. With just over two weeks before the Aug. 3 trade deadline, Washington has yet to seriously engage on the topic. The Nationals are open to listening further about García, but they value him highly because of his talent and an additional year of club control at a relatively reasonable dollar figure.García, 26, is making $6.875 million this season through arbitration. He is set to reach free agency after the 2027 season.MLB cracks down on using AI in dugoutsIn his seventh big-league season, García has emerged as a power threat from the left side. By the All-Star break, he had already set a career-best in home runs, hitting 20. Through 90 games and 319 plate appearances heading into Friday, García held an .871 OPS.Some concerns remain. For his career, he owns a .729 OPS and a 102 OPS+. He still regularly sits against left-handed pitchers (.619 OPS against lefties, .909 OPS against right-handers).Still, there just aren’t many obvious options on the trade market for power, let alone better alternatives to García. For example, one of the best hitters available is the lowly San Francisco Giants’ Luis Arraez, who is hitting .330 but hardly offers any thump. There just aren’t many other teams like the Giants, an obvious seller. To that point, the resurgent Boston Red Sox were once thought of as potential sellers, but after a torrid run, they profile as a fit for García, who has played mostly first base this season but also has experience playing second base.The Nationals were one of the first half’s feel-good stories after entering the All-Star break at 48-49 and four games out of a wild-card spot, but they did not anticipate seriously contending for the playoffs this season.This spring, the Nationals gauged league-wide interest in García and several others in the organization, according to multiple MLB evaluators.García has graded out as an above-average bat by underlying metrics in each of the past three seasons, though the back of his baseball card has only started to back up that assertion this year. Those underlying metrics have gotten even better in 2026, thanks in part to a new set of voices that have helped him hit the ball hard in the air with more consistency.While the Nationals are still sorting out their plans for Aug. 3, it would be surprising if they came away from this deadline without some additional arms who could contribute as early as 2027. García could help them in that regard.García, though, is the longest-tenured National and has been an integral part of Washington’s clubhouse culture, which could complicate the decision for an executive group that is mindful of what a sell-off could do to team morale.García made the full-time switch from second to first base in 2026, a decision that followed years of poor defensive metrics up the middle. Though the early returns were less than encouraging, García spent as much time as anyone doing pregame defensive work in April and May. In June and July, he’s looked much better — though still imperfect — at the position.Early this spring, Washington’s new hitting coaches approached García with a plan to instill more confidence and better habits. His combination of contact and power, they said, made him special. His proclivity to chase pitches outside of the zone needed to change, but an overhaul wasn’t necessary. Though García’s chase rate remains high, he has zeroed in on chasing at the top of the zone, where he does the most damage.“It’s kind of funny,” Nationals hitting coach Matt Borgschulte said. “Every once in a while, somebody tries to get a fastball at the top by him, and I love to watch them try to do that, because it’s really, really challenging to do.”Since returning from a wrist injury that kept him briefly sidelined in early May — one that he continued to hit through even after returning — he has been one of the most productive hitters in MLB.The Nationals have two first basemen in Triple-A Rochester (Abimelec Ortiz and Yohandy Morales) who they believe are capable of contributing at the major-league level this season, which could also factor into the team’s plans. Morales leads the farm system in homers, and Ortiz, who was acquired in the MacKenzie Gore trade this winter, made his MLB debut last Sunday before being optioned back to Rochester.Jul 18, 2026Connections: Sports EditionSpot the pattern. Connect the termsFind the hidden link between sports terms