The Baltimore Orioles and Washington Nationals pulled off a historic trade on Wednesday.
Baltimore traded reliever Kyle Nicolas to the Nationals for minor league infielder Randal Diaz. Washington optioned Nicolas to Triple-A Rochester.
Although it’s a minor deal, it’s a historic one, as it marks the first trade between the two teams since the franchise relocated from Montreal to Washington in 2005.
Despite the Orioles and Nationals being in different leagues, they are rivals due to their close proximity, which likely played a role in why no trade has happened.
Nicolas is a four-year MLB veteran who began his career in 2023 with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He spent three years with the Pirates before beginning the 2026 season with the Cincinnati Reds. With the Reds, he went 1-0 with an 8.59 ERA in 7 games and was dealt to the Orioles in early June.
Diaz, meanwhile, is an infielder who can play shortstop, second base, and third base. He’s 23-years-old and spent this season in High-A and is hitting .253 with 5 home runs and 31 RBIs.
MLB World Reacts to Orioles-Nationals Trade
Following the deal, the MLB world had reactions to the historic trade between the Baltimore Orioles and Washington Nationals.
“What a blockbuster trade to be their first ever lol,” a fan wrote.
“Never thought I’d see the day, and here we are,” a fan added.
“Peace in our time,” a fan wrote.
“Classic Mike Elias move, trade pitching away! lol,” a fan wrote.
“Why are we trading pitchers?,” a fan added.
“The Cold War is officially over,” a fan wrote.
“As an Orioles fan, this makes me nervous lol,” a fan added.
“The Nationals and Orioles just linked up on a trade for the first time in history. An indication of the hostility between the orgs over the years and how much things have changed in the present,” a fan wrote.
“A new era indeed: The Nationals and Orioles have made their first trade since the Nationals moved to D.C. in 2005. The Nationals have now made a trade with every MLB team,” a fan added.
It’s clear the Orioles and Nationals have put whatever they had behind them as the teams agreed to make their first trade between franchises.
Baltimore Wants to be Buyers
The Orioles have struggled this season, but the team is hopeful to be a buyer ahead of the August 3 trade deadline.
Baltimore is 40-48 and is 4.5 games back of a Wild Card spot. However, Orioles President of Baseball Operations Mike Elias said the plan is to be a buyer ahead of the trade deadline.
“I know our record is backwards. But apparently, this is infecting a whole bunch of other teams, too. I can’t explain it,” Elias said. “I wish we were arriving at that in a much different way, and the context around that is unusual. But we’re right there. So, we’re going for it. I’ll let you know if that changes.”
The Orioles are coming off a 6-1 win over the Chicago White Sox to avoid being swept at home to Chicago.
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