The Nationals announced this afternoon that they’ve claimed left-hander PJ Poulin off waivers from the Tigers. Poulin was designated for assignment to make room for right-hander Charlie Morton on the club’s 40-man roster on the day of the trade deadline.
Poulin, 29, was an 11th-round pick by the Rockies back in 2018. A two-way player in college, Poulin committed to pitching upon his move to affiliated ball. He looked quite good in the lower minors as a reliever in his first two years as a professional, but the canceled minor league season in 2020 lost him a year of development and he generally struggled with his effectiveness in the upper minors during his time with the Rockies organization. He was dealt to the Tigers prior to the 2024 season and has looked quite good since then, with a 2.10 ERA, 2.59 FIP, and 29.8% strikeout rate across the Double- and Triple-A levels last year.
The southpaw returned to Triple-A Toledo this year and has pitched well in 42 2/3 innings of work, with a 3.38 ERA and a fantastic 33.7% strikeout rate against a 9.2% walk rate. Those huge numbers got the attention of the Tigers last month, and led them to add Poulin to the 40-man roster after he exercised an upward mobility clause in his contract. Unfortunately for Poulin, he did not make it to the majors in Detroit before being DFA’d this past week. The good news, however, is that he’s been plucked off the waiver wire by a Nationals team that will be in need of bullpen help down the stretch after parting with key relievers like closer Kyle Finnegan and lefty Andrew Chafin in a sell-off at the deadline.
That should give Poulin a clear shot to make the majors and show what he can do at the big league level at some point down the stretch, and if he impresses the Nationals would have full control over him given that he has not yet made his big league debut and has zero MLB service time. He’ll be competing with players like Konnor Pilkington and Shinnosuke Ogasawara to serve as a left-handed bullpen option for the team now that Jose A. Ferrer is seemingly ticketed for the closer role in Finnegan’s stead.
Poulin is right on the cusp of being a MLB relief pitcher. I will look forward to him getting his shot with the Nats.
Always confused me why the Tigers wasted time with Carlos Hernandez when they could’ve used Poulin, who’s had years in the minors, has nothing left to prove and they could’ve used another lefty in that pen to spell Holton since Guenther was ineffective, and for some reason they acquired, then hated Matt Gage.
Very very puzzling pitching roster decisions going on in Detroit… at least give the kid a shot over Hernandez tbh.
You could take Kreidler off the forty man and no one would have claimed him. I never get these moves. Wasn’t he the best pitcher in Toledo?
I agree.
Tigers aren’t that deep in the bullpen, Poulin has some nice K/9 – nice pick up for the Nats.
Oh, he is 29 years old. That would explain why he got waived.
He should get a shot any day. I think they must have the worst bullpen earned run average after the brewers hammered them.
They’re seeing what works and throwing it up against the wall. Great opportunity for the kid!
I believe the Nats already had the worst bullpen ERA before the Brewers series.
I hope this pickup works out, but it may also signal that DeBartolo intends to build a bullpen by dumpster diving, just like Rizzo usually did.
Poulin made his MLB debut last night. Faced 5 batters. 13 pitches, 11 strikes. 0 runs which is an accomplishment since the Nats gave up 16 to the A’s.