(AUDACY) Gutted by trades ahead of the deadline, the Cubs and Nationals are set to kick off their series in Washington on Friday evening baring little resemblance to the teams that took the field earlier in the week.
In the past two days, the Cubs underwent a fire sale of the highest order, purging their roster in the name of salary relief and prospects by trading first baseman Anthony Rizzo, shortstop Javier Baez, closer Craig Kimbrel and infielder/outfielder Kris Bryant.
Not to be outdone, the Nationals cleaned house in similarly dramatic fashion, turning the page on three-time Cy Young winner Max Scherzer, All-Star shortstop Trea Turner, left-hander Jon Lester, catcher Yan Gomes, reliever Daniel Hudson, infielder Josh Harrison and outfielder Kyle Schwarber. Washington held onto rising star Juan Soto, but it's still remarkable to see the Nationals reduced to afterthought status just two years after raising a World Series banner.
The respective facelifts of the Cubs and Nationals begged a question Friday too -- which players could possibly be available to start in the series opener? Predictably, Twitter made plenty of jokes at their expense, marveling at the thoroughness of the trade carnage.
Juan Soto pulling up to the Nationals-Cubs game pic.twitter.com/WeSobbvJur
— Dev (@Dev_D612) July 30, 2021
While the depleted Cubs and Nationals will at least be afforded the courtesy of lowered expectations going forward, it unfortunately won't make fans' viewing experience any more enjoyable, as they'll likely suffer through two months of makeshift lineups comprised of Triple-A call-ups and other unknowns.
Here's a look at the lineup the Cubs ended up going with:
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