Nats owner on trade deadline: We couldn't throw in the towel

MLB's non-waiver trade deadline came and went Tuesday, and Bryce Harper, Daniel Murphy, and Gio Gonzalez are still Washington Nationals.

There was much speculation as to whether the Nats would be deadline sellers and move the three aforementioned impending free agents, considering the team sat one game under .500 at the time.

Nationals owner Mark Lerner addressed a letter to the fan base Wednesday, looking to explain management's decision.

"At the end of the day, my family and (general manager) Mike Rizzo decided that we just couldn't give up on this team," Lerner wrote. "We couldn't look ourselves in the mirror knowing that we had simply thrown in the towel on a team full of talent and heart."

Lerner added that he and Rizzo took a "hard look at the roster" as they made their decision.

The Nationals did trade reliever Brandon Kintzler on Tuesday. It was reported Wednesday that the team suspected he'd been quoted anonymously in a story suggesting Washington's clubhouse was dysfunctional.

Washington authored a 25-4 statement win over the New York Mets after Tuesday's deadline, and another victory Wednesday put the Nats five games back of the NL East division lead. The team also designated reliever Shawn Kelley for assignment after he reacted to surrendering a two-run homer in Tuesday's game by throwing his glove.