Could the reeling Nationals be sellers at the deadline?

In one of the most important seasons in franchise history, the Washington Nationals appear more than vulnerable.

The team is 9-18 over the last month and enters play Tuesday seven games back in the National League East and 3 1/2 out of the second wild-card spot. While these deficits are far from insurmountable with three months left in the season and given the talent on Washington's roster, there's cause for genuine concern.

The Atlanta Braves look like legitimate contenders in the East, while the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers could be wild-card foes for the Nationals, leaving no easy task even for a team boasting Max Scherzer. And if history is any indication, Washington is in trouble. The only other times the Nationals trailed in the division by seven games were in 2013 and 2015, the only two times the club failed to reach the postseason in the last six years.

It was World Series or bust coming into the season, and the front office was an early buyer last month, dealing for reliever Kelvin Herrera from the Royals, but if the team's slide continues and it finds itself in a double-digit deficit in the division and more than seven games out of the wild card, is it conceivable the Nationals could entertain offers on some of their veterans?

Bryce Harper, Daniel Murphy, Matt Adams, Gio Gonzalez, Matt Wieters, Ryan Madson, and Herrera are all free agents at the end of this season, and there's no doubt general manager Mike Rizzo would receive a haul for Harper - despite a down season - if he made him available. If the Nationals believe they don't have a shot at re-signing the five-time All-Star, it would be important to bring back pieces to add to the core that's remaining rather than settle for a compensation draft pick. Even if the club thinks Harper will come back, Rizzo could still deal him in a move similar to what the Yankees did with Aroldis Chapman, and bring him back over the winter.

But trading Harper, Murphy, Gonzalez, or any star player will be a tough sell for Rizzo, and the Nationals would have to really go in the tank over the next three weeks for this to be conceivable. This is a franchise that hasn't advanced past the Division Series in their history. Luckily, the upcoming schedule will give Washington a chance to right the ship. After playing two more with the Red Sox, the Nationals face the Marlins, Pirates, and Mets before heading into the All-Star break. Those three teams are a combined 108-143 (.430) and could be exactly what Washington needs. Out of the break, it's a bit more challenging, with three games against the Braves and three more with the NL Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers. Those two series could be a true measuring stick for Rizzo and his team.

There's no shortage of reasons as to why the Nationals will stay the course and hope for the best. Scherzer is well on his way to another Cy Young award, Stephen Strasburg and Ryan Zimmerman should return from the DL soon, and Harper and the rest of the offense should eventually get back on track. But if the struggles continue over the three weeks leading into the non-waiver trade deadline, and the gap in the standings continues to grow, Rizzo could add some star power to the rumor mill.