The Nationals are expected to shop reliever Drew Storen at the upcoming Winter Meetings, reports Bill Ladson of MLB.com. Storen was in the midst of a career renaissance as the Nationals’ closer last season before the club acquired Jonathan Papelbon from the Phillies. Storen pitched poorly and eventually broke his hand in an off-field incident after being displaced as the team’s closer.
Storen, 28, is club controlled through next season. MLBTR’s Matt Swartz projects him to earn $8.8MM in arbitration. In 55 innings, Storen finished last season with a 3.44 ERA, 10.96 K/9, and 2.62 BB/9. He was even better prior to the acquisition of Papelbon. He posted a 1.64 ERA, 11.27 K/9, and 2.11 BB/9 through his first 38 frames.
The presence of Papelbon on the roster makes Storen expendable for the Nationals. We’ve heard earlier this offseason that Papelbon would be hard to shop due to perceived personality issues. Papelbon also physically assaulted franchise star Bryce Harper. Some analysts thought the club might cut Papelbon after the incident, but it appears all parties have made amends.
Interestingly, the Nationals are pursuing free agent reliever Darren O’Day. The 33-year-old is expected to run about four-years and $36MM to sign. While they’re remarkably different pitchers, O’Day and Storen project similarly in 2016. Storen is also younger and doesn’t require a commitment beyond 2016.
It’s possible the team views Storen as a change of scenery candidate. This was the third time he lost the Nationals closer job. The first was due to an elbow injury and the second time occurred when the team signed Rafael Soriano. The club may also simply view O’Day’s funky delivery as a valuable change of pace from Papelbon. They may see an O’Day signing; Storen trade sequence as a way to improve elsewhere without hurting the bullpen.
The Astros are reported to be one of the teams interested in the former closer. Houston is looking to add depth to a bullpen featuring Luke Gregerson and Pat Neshek.
I would love for the Mariners to go get him. He has proven to be effective. I’d like to see him controlled longer, but let Smith and Benoit setup Storen.
Why? Benoit has been great in the past years. he might be old. but he is good.
Yes, he is good. I wasn’t saying he was bad. The Mariners need more bullpen help though. Storen was dominant before the Nats traded for Papelbon, and Benoit has been dominant as a setup man. Pair that with Furbush and Smith and they have a very solid bullpen. They’d have 3 guys with experience closing and setting up.
Cuddyer and 2 b level prospects
Btw I know this won’t happen but this is hot stove excitement
No one wants Cuddyer, he is old and overpaid… The Nats would ask for Montero or a player of his caliber
So Cubs…
My guess is the Dodgers
Oakland has a long history with the Nats in trades and bought out Doolittle already, so him getting saves or not won’t matter because he doesn’t go through arb. I think the A’s are a great fit for Storen, who can rack up a ton of saves and hit the FA market next year as the best closer. Doolittle, coming off missing most of the year, could setup in ’16 and go back to closing in ’17.
Agreed. I wonder how much more Aroldis would cost though. The A’s could always flip him at the deadline if they’re not in it and get a top prospect.
Wow, a lot of saves with the A’s? Trade him if they are not in it!? Guys, did you fall asleep for the last year and a half? The As went all in and unfortunately it didn’t go their way. Those trades later (Donaldson) didn’t help the team. A’s need at least a couple of years to compete I believe
The A’s had a terribly unlucky start to the season going off of run differential and that was due to a horrible pen. Right, losing Donaldson hurt big. Maybe Butler can be a little better but that signing looks like a mistake. But a healthy Doolittle and a trade for Storen after getting Hendriks transforms our pen. I’d love to see A’s go after Storen and surprise some people next year.
I said the same thing about the Astros and Twins before last year.
Storen to Houston for Vincent Velasquez and Marwin Gonzalez
That would be a huge haul for Storen.
I know the Twins have had interest in Storen for years. I’m not sure what the Twins have that the Nats would want though. There were Span-for-Storen rumors floating around for several years, I think starting out with a more ambitious version of what amounted to the Ramos for Capps trade.
I agree twins are a good fit for storen to set up perkins. Dark horse for storen is Pittsburgh though for mine.
8.8 mil for one season for storen? Besides the dodgers who wants that.
Well if he can out up the numbers like he did last year in the 1st half every team will want him.
Possibly Paplebon or Storen to Red Sox for Sandoval. Red Sox unload a player and contract they don’t want for a player either the Nats don’t want or a player no one else will take. Boston could relegate that piece of garbage to a mop up role, have Koji for the 7th, Kelly for the 8th, and Kimbrel to close. What a wonderful world it would be.
You can’t be serious?
About what part?
I can’t tell if your saying Storen would be put in the mop up role because he’s garbage or someone else. Storen is good, and there is no way the Nats want Sandoval. It would make more sense for them to get someone like Gardner to take over in CF.
Paplebon is garbage. Kelly could be the 2nd coming of Wade Davis in the set up role. I know that no one wants well against them in the playoffs. Possibly a change of scenery would help him. No one wants Papelbon either, so maybe the two teams could trade unwanted players. I would love for Boston to get Storen
Neither Papelbon or Storen are garbage. Both are highly effective, Papelbon just has his attitude issues. They will get traded to someone in need of a high leverage reliever or closer, not Boston. At least not for Sandoval.
Storen was dominant before they traded for Papelbon. Let the man have the job elsewhere. The Nats will never fully trust him in the role.
Papelbon is garbage. The Nationals imploded after acquiring him. His impact on a team is undeniably negative
Correlation does not imply causation. The Nationals fell apart for several reasons including, but not limited to, poor bullpen management and injured veterans returning with diminished results after long absences. And like most teams, their play suffered once they knew they weren’t going to make the postseason. However, Papelbon was pretty decent for the Nationals, until the day he lost his mind and decided to choke the franchise star and league MVP. Before that day, he had a 2.38 ERA, with 21 hits and 2 walks in 22.2 IP in Washington and his time with the Phillies was even better. Yes, he clearly has attitude issues, but he is still a talented player.
No one wants Sandoval. He has a large contract and wasn’t particularly good. Especially not the Nats. He has no where to play with the Nats as 1st and 3rd and locked up.
Escobar will move to SS leaving 3rd open unless Trea Turner can win the SS job.
And Anthony Rendon plays?
I assume Zimmerman plays 1b, Espinosa(or Escobar if Turner takes SS) at 2b, Escobar at SS, and Rendon is on 3b
No room for Panda and his large contract
If the plan is for Turner to play SS, you are right, no room for Panda. Also, unless Boston planned on designating Papelbon for assignment, they wouldn’t trade for him. I’m just hoping Boston clears space and salary to sign Chris Davis
Tigers need to at least kick the tires. There have been rumors of interest in the past.
Tigers should be kicking the tires on any and all rumored available relief arms. In my estimation, we still need 2-3 more arms for the pen assuming K-rod, Hardy, Wilson, and Rondon are locks to be in the pen
Don’t forget verhagen
Not forgetting him. Just don’t think he’s a lock to be in the majors at the start of the year. I’m holding out hope for him, but still leaves the need for another lefty and/or a set up type pitcher
Maybe the Nats can package Strasburg with Storen and get a nice little package from the Dodgers. If the Dodgers don’t sign Cueto they will have missed out on all the big name free agent pitchers while also losing one of the biggest. The deal can begin with Urias.
No chance. Dodgers not moving Urias for 1 year of Strasburg and a reliever.
“[O’Day] is expected to run about three-years and $36MM to sign.”
I lack the sources that most other reporters and writers have but I’m going to go out on a limb and say this is a typo.
My bad, wrong post
“[O’Day] is expected to run about three-years and $36MM to sign.”
I lack the sources that most other reporters and writers have but I’m going to go out on a limb and say this is a typo.