Foster Griffin is clearly the Nationals’ best rental asset if they decide to sell anyone at the trade deadline – but that is still FAR from a given.
Per a report by Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon in The Athletic, the Nationals are ‘still assessing’ whether or not to deal Griffin, with an extension still a possibility as well.
From the report, which was focused on Tigers starter Tarik Skubal and how he could set the market:
Some rival executives believe a Foster Griffin trade is inevitable. The Washington Nationals, however, are still assessing whether to deal, extend or keep the starting pitcher through the end of the season, according to people familiar with the club’s thinking who were granted anonymity to speak freely. If the Nationals end up engaging with other teams on Griffin, the expectation is that there would be strong interest in the left-hander.
Griffin, 30, has had a spectacular season after returning from Japan, posting a 2.68 ERA in 20 starts, and that ERA is tied for sixth in the NL over 117 1/3 innings. He was named to the All-Star Team as a replacement, as well, and has 111 strikeouts to just 27 walks.
Thr Nats inked Griffin to a one-year, $5.5 million deal that has turned out to be the bargain of the winter, and with Skubal the top name in a thin rental starting pitching market, Griffin could bring back a very good haul for a Nats team that continues to surge amidst a rebuild that even POBO Paul Toboni admitted to the Junkies this week has been ‘accelerated a bit’ due to their 51-51 record entering play Wednesday.
Of course, the rub is that .500 mark has them 1 ½ games out of a Wild Card spot in an expanded MLB Playoff system that has shown anything is possible – but, on the flip side, beyond Griffin and Cade Cavalli, the Nats have two starters who have been used mostly with openers of late and currently use swingman Andrew Alvarez in the fifth spot, not to mention a bullpen that has been inconsistent at best.
There is reinforcement coming with both Trevor Williams and Jake Irvin currently on rehab assignment, but the Nats may also see that as the opportunity to strengthen two rotation spots to make a push.
