This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/nationals as Nationals Performance Ahead of MLB Trade Deadline Can Be Summed Up in One Word. The Washington Nationals were one of the few teams that headed into the MLB trade deadline as clear-cut sellers.

July is a busy month on Major League Baseball's calendar, for it contains the amateur draft, the All-Star Game, and the trade deadline. Comparatively, August is a bit of a bore -- at least off the field.

The MLB trade deadline came and went at 6 p.m. Eastern time Thursday, but not before teams made a significant number of moves.