Murphy, Adams traded to contenders

WASHINGTON — Essentially throwing in the towel on a disappointing season, the Nationals traded second baseman Daniel Murphy to the Cubs and first baseman Matt Adams to the Cardinals on Tuesday.

Despite a roster that boasts such stars as Max Scherzer and Bryce Harper, the Nationals entered a three-game series at home against the Phillies with a losing record of 62-63, 71⁄2 games behind the NL East-leading Braves.

General manager Mike Rizzo and the team owners gambled at the July trade deadline, standing pat and expressing faith in the roster as constituted. The Nationals trounced the Mets 25-4 that night but are 9-10 since, including a 2-5 road trip through Chicago and St. Louis that featured a 4-3 loss at Wrigley Field on a two-out, walk-off grand slam.

“We felt that coming off that road trip and into this most recent homestand was a time that was a litmus test for us and we felt that the timing was right to make the vital decisions that we had to make,” Rizzo said.

The deals came three weeks after the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, and the Nationals aren’t getting much in return.

For Murphy, who was hitting .300 since his return from knee surgery, the Cubs are swapping Class A infielder Andruw Monasterio and a player to be named or cash. For Adams, the Cardinals are sending $50,000 to the Nationals.

“My thoughts are it’s really bittersweet,” Murphy said. “I sat at this podium probably 2 years ago. The Washington Nationals were the only offer I had. They took a chance on me three years ago and I feel very disappointed in myself that it kind of came to this point.”