The direction of the Washington Nationals before the trade deadline became clear on Sunday.When they decided to send Luis Garcia Jr. to the New York Yankees for a package that featured four pitchers -- three of them prospects -- that signaled they were looking to sell off some of their best assets to get pieces back for the future.With that trade on the books, the next logical domino to fall was left-handed pitcher Foster Griffin getting shipped out of town. Well, according to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, that's exactly what happened, as the insider was the first to report that the Nationals traded their breakout star to the Cleveland Guardians. Per Spencer Nusbaum of The Athletic, Washington received four players in return; pitchers Will Dion, Josh Hartle and Kendeglys Virguez, and outfielder Nick Mitchell.Nationals Decide to Sell Foster GriffinWashington Nationals pitcher Foster Griffin | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectIt wasn't a given that this was going to happen. After previous extension talks failed, Washington was reportedly trying to get something worked out with Griffin before the deadline that would have kept him in the nation's capital for the next few years.However, because the Nationals entered Aug. 3 three games under .500 and 4.5 out of the final NL wild card spot, the front office must have decided that the best course of action for their long-term future was to take advantage of this favorable market by selling high on the 2026 All-Star.On paper, they did exactly that by getting four players in exchange for a rental, as Hartle was ranked No. 25 in the Guardians' pipeline and the others are currently at the Double-A level or higher in the minors.What's Next for Nationals in the Short Term?Washington Nationals pitcher Andrew Alvarez | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectThe writing was on the wall about a Griffin trade before a deal was even reported. That's because the team announced that left-handed pitcher Andrew Alvarez was recalled from Triple-A Rochester and that he would make the start against the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday.While Connelly Early -- who was the return piece from the Boston Red Sox in the Curtis Mead trade -- continues to rehab and work his way back from left elbow inflammation that has kept him on the injured list since July 1, it seems like Alvarez will take the place of Griffin in the rotation. Early is expected to be back in early-mid-August, so how things look after that isn't clear.But in the meantime, there's no doubt that Washington's already-poor pitching staff has taken a hit with Griffin no longer being part of the equation. He's tied for fourth across the majors with 12 wins, and his 3.06 ERA is 15th-best out of all MLB starters.Still, with Griffin set to hit free agency after the season, selling high on the 30-year-old who could regress coming down the final stretch of the 2026 campaign was a no-brainer at this point.Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow