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Nationals Still In Market For Bullpen Upgrades

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Even after acquiring Sean Doolittle and Ryan Madson from the A’s yesterday, the Nationals remain interested in bolstering their bullpen, FanRag’s Jon Heyman tweets. Tigers lefty Justin Wilson is of particular interest to them, per MLB.com’s Jon Morosi (also via Twitter), and Morosi notes that the Nats could also yet add a starting pitcher in the wake of Joe Ross’ season-ending injury.

The addition of Madson and Doolittle to the Washington relief corps undoubtedly strengthens the group, but with young righty Koda Glover on the shelf, Blake Treinen shipped to the A’s as part of yesterday’s trade, and Shawn Kelley’s health currently in limbo, the Nats have plenty of room for further reinforcements. Treinen, Glover and Kelley were counted upon heavily to anchor the ’pen headed into the season, but that group has clearly underwhelmed, as has offseason pickup Joe Blanton, whose ERA sits at 7.04 even after tossing 6 1/3 scoreless frames across his past eight appearances. The Nats reportedly had “substantive” talks with the Marlins about David Phelps and AJ Ramos before acquiring Madson and Doolittle, though it’s uncertain if they’ll circle back on either of those arms.

It’s also not yet clear exactly how much of a priority rotation help will be for the Nats. It’s worth noting, however, that two of their top internal options, A.J. Cole and Austin Voth, have posted an ERA north of 6.00 in Triple-A this season despite track records of vastly superior performance at that level. The struggles of both 25-year-olds may have factored into the decision to give Edwin Jackson the first look in Ross’ vacant rotation spot tomorrow. Beyond the injury to Ross, the Nats have watched Tanner Roark struggle to a 4.98 ERA through 106 2/3 innings this season, so the back end of the rotation is hardly a strength at the moment.

There should be a handful of rental options available — Marco Estrada, Jaime Garcia, Trevor Cahill, Clayton Richard, Jhoulys Chacin among them — but with Ross out for most of the 2018 season as well, the Nats could conceivably look a bit longer-term if they wish. Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg are locked up to guaranteed deals next season, while Roark is arbitration-eligible and Gio Gonzalez looks like a lock to see his $12MM option vest, barring injury. (Gonzalez is 58 1/3 innings shy of the requisite 180 frames he’ll need.) The Nats could look short-term for now and reassess their needs this coming winter, but Rizzo didn’t part with any of his top-tier prospects in landing Madson and Doolittle, so he should still have the firepower to think bigger and do some offseason shopping in advance (so to speak) — if there’s a longer-term asset that the Nationals covet.

Nats Select Jacob Turner’s Contract; Edwin Jackson Likely To Start Tuesday

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The Nationals announced today that they’ve selected the contract of right-hander Jacob Turner and transferred Koda Glover to the 60-day disabled list to clear a spot on the 40-man roster. As MASNsports.com’s Dan Kolko tweets, newly acquired Sean Doolittle and Ryan Madson will join the team tomorrow in Los Angeles, so Turner’s recall could just be a one-day stint. Because Blake Treinen went to the A’s in that trade, there’s already an open spot on the 25-man roster for Turner.

While Turner could conceivably start tomorrow’s game in place of the injured Joe Ross, Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post reports that Edwin Jackson will be called upon to start tomorrow’s contest. Signed to a minor league deal last month, the veteran Jackson has allowed just one run on nine hits and 10 walks with 22 strikeouts in 20 1/3 innings with Triple-A Syracuse. That performance, it seems, has earned him the first crack at the fifth spot in the rotation, which is now vacant following the news that Ross will require Tommy John surgery. His promotion will require another 40-man move.

Regarding Glover, manager Dusty Baker told reporters today that the 24-year-old hasn’t yet thrown since being placed on the disabled list more than a month ago (Twitter link via Castillo). However, Baker also said that he’s hopeful Glover will be able to return when he’s first eligible to be activated. That seems like an ambitious but not impossible goal. Glover has already spent 37 games on the shelf, but if he’s able to resume throwing in the near future, the club could get him on track for a couple of minor league rehab innings within that roughly three-week window.

Law On Nationals' Trade With A's

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  • The trade the Nationals and Athletics made on Sunday looks like a win-win, opines ESPN’s Keith Law (subscription required and recommended). In acquiring Ryan Madson and Sean Doolittle, the Nationals managed to land a pair of quality relievers who possess excellent control without giving up any of their absolute best prospects. On the other hand, Law writes that the rebuilding A’s cleared salary, got back a capable big league reliever in Blake Treinen and a couple promising young players, both of whom were high selections in the 2016 draft. Nineteen-year-old Jesus Luzardo, the 35th choice, had the upside of a No. 2 starter before undergoing Tommy John surgery a summer ago, per Law, who notes that the right-hander seems to be bouncing back well from the procedure. Infielder Sheldon Neuse, the 58th pick, boasts “an above-average hit tool and excellent instincts on both sides of the ball,” and could have a future in the middle infield (likely second base), at third base or at a combination of those positions.

Nationals, Marlins Had "Substantive Talks" Over A.J. Ramos, David Phelps

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Nationals Acquire Sean Doolittle, Ryan Madson

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The Nationals made their long-awaited strike for bullpen help, acquiring relievers Sean Doolittle and Ryan Madson from the Athletics, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reports (Twitter links).  Right-hander Blake Treinen, minor league left-hander Jesus Luzardo and minor league third baseman Sheldon Neuse are headed to Oakland. The Nats have officially announced the move, adding that Joe Ross has been transferred to the 60-day DL to create roster space.

Ryan Madson & Sean Doolittle | MLBTR Photoshop

The trade ends months of speculation about how Washington would address its struggling bullpen, which sits last in baseball with a cumulative 5.34 ERA and -0.9 fWAR.  The Nats were linked in trade rumors to seemingly every available reliever in the sport and finally settled on a familiar trade partner in Oakland.  Rosenthal reported yesterday that the Nationals were looking to add both Doolittle and Madson from the A’s in a single deal.  Both Madson and Doolittle have closing experience and either could slide right into Washington’s open ninth-inning role, though the club could also alternate between the two depending on how matchups favor the right-handed Madson or the left-handed Doolittle.

The Nats are undoubtedly very familiar with Madson from his years pitching for the Phillies in the NL East, though that almost seems like another career for the 36-year-old, who missed all of 2012-14 due to injury before resurfacing as a shutdown reliever for the 2015 World Series champion Royals.  Madson parlayed that comeback year into a three-year, $22MM deal with the A’s and has performed well in Oakland, posting a 3.03 ERA, 7.6 K/9 and 3.38 K/BB rate in 104 IP wearing in the green-and-gold.

Drafted 41st overall by the A’s in 2007, Doolittle has been a staple of the A’s bullpen for the last six seasons, with a 3.09 ERA, 10.7 K/9 and a sterling 6.38 K/BB rate over his 253 career innings.  He has run into a bit of trouble with home runs over the last two seasons, which could hint at an issue as he moves from the Coliseum to a more hitter-friendly venue in Nationals Park.

Doolittle is owed roughly $1MM more this season and $4.35MM in 2018, as per an early-career extension signed with the Athletics in April 2014.  The Nationals also hold club options on Doolittle for 2019 ($6MM, $500K buyout) and 2020 ($6.5MM, $500K buyout), making him an affordable long-term answer in their bullpen.  Between both Doolittle and Madson, the Nats have addressed their pen both now and in the future with the trade.

Rosenthal reports that no money will change hands in the trade, so the Nationals will fully absorb the Madson and Doolittle contracts.  The Nats will therefore add $11.85MM in payroll next season, though some money will come off the books with the likes of Jayson Werth, Joe Blanton, Oliver Perez and Stephen Drew hitting free agency (though Bryce Harper and Daniel Murphy are due hefty raises and will eat up almost $15MM of that open money).

Treinen was part of another Oakland/Washington deal back in January 2013 when the then-Athletics prospect was dealt to the Nats as part of the three-team deal with the Mariners that saw John Jaso go to the A’s, Mike Morse to Seattle and A.J. Cole to the Nationals.  Armed with both a 96mph-fastball and an ability to keep the ball out of the air (62.2% career ground-ball rate), Treinen put up good numbers for the Nats in 2014-16 before running into problems this season.  Treinen has a 5.73 ERA over 37 2/3 innings, though a bloated .381 BABIP is partially to blame — Treinen’s ERA predictors (3.75 FIP, 4.09 xFIP, 3.75 SIERA) are much more forgiving of his performance.

The righty will only be arb-eligible for the first time this coming winter, so the Athletics have acquired a big arm under team control through the 2020 season.  Santiago Casilla is likely to be Oakland’s primary ninth-inning option in the short term, though Treinen surely projects as a potential closer of the future for the A’s, and could conceivably audition in the role before this season is out.

Luzardo and Neuse were respectively rated 15th and 17th by the Baseball America Prospect Handbook’s preseason ranking of the top 30 prospects in the Nationals’ system.  Luzardo is a hard-throwing 19-year-old who was a third-round pick for Washington in the 2016 draft, despite undergoing Tommy John surgery in March 2016.  He quite possibly would’ve been taken earlier in the draft were it not for that surgery, and Luzardo has only just begun his pro career, with three starts this season for the Nationals’ rookie league team.

Neuse was a second-round pick in 2016, and is hitting .291/.349/.469 with nine home runs over 321 A-ball plate appearances this year.  Neuse is described by the BA Handbook as possessing average power potential, with “a short, compact swing” that allows him to hit to all fields.

Nationals Trying To Acquire Ryan Madson, Sean Doolittle

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As they look to improve their beleaguered bullpen, the Nationals are attempting to acquire both right-hander Ryan Madson and lefty Sean Doolittle from the Athletics, reports Ken Rosenthal of MLB Network (Twitter links).

At 53-36, the Nationals own one of the majors’ best records and lead the National League East by 9.5 games, but their success has come in spite of a horrid bullpen. With Blake Treinen, Joe Blanton, Koda Glover, Shawn Kelley and Sammy Solis having dealt with injuries and/or posted poor numbers, Nationals relievers entered play Saturday last in the majors in both ERA (5.18) and fWAR (minus-0.9). Clearly, then, Washington’s going to have to bolster its relief corps this summer if it’s going to make a serious push for a World Series in October.

Both Madson and Doolittle would seemingly help the Nationals’ cause, given that they’ve been excellent this season. The 36-year-old Madson has bounced back from a middling 2016 to resemble the stellar reliever he was in his halcyon days with the Phillies and Royals. Over 38 1/3 innings in 2017, the hard-throwing Madson has logged a 2.11 ERA, 8.92 K/9, 1.41 BB/9 and a sterling ground-ball percentage (55.9). He has also induced infield pop-ups at an 11.8 percent rate, further adding to his appeal.

Doolittle, 30, has put recent shoulder issues behind him to record a 3.38 ERA and ridiculous strikeout and walk numbers (13.08 K/9, .84 BB/9) through 21 1/3 frames. While Doolittle – who, like Madson, brings a mid-90s fastball to the table – hasn’t generated many ground balls (35.6 percent), he has offset that with an absurd infield fly rate (21.7 percent).

With the A’s at 40-50 and well out of the playoff picture, dealing both Madson and Doolittle by the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline seems like a strong possibility. Neither player would be a rental for an acquiring club – Madson is on a $7.5MM salary through next season, and Doolittle is controllable on an eminently affordable deal through 2020.

Joe Ross To Have Tommy John Surgery

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Nationals starter Joe Ross will have Tommy John surgery on Wednesday in Texas, Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post tweets. The Nats pulled Ross from his most recent start, then placed him on the DL with what the team first described as triceps discomfort and then as an elbow sprain.

Ross will, obviously, miss the rest of the season. The loss leaves the Nationals with a lack of good rotation depth — they have an enviable front four in Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez and Tanner Roark, but there’s a considerable dropoff after that. Potential short-term options include A.J. Cole, Jacob Turner, Austin Voth and Edwin Jackson, none of whom have done much this season to inspire confidence. Prospect Erick Fedde has fared well this year, but he only recently reached the Triple-A level.

The Nationals could, then, enter the trade market for starting pitching. As Jeff Todd pointed out yesterday, the Nats don’t necessarily need an extra starter for the playoffs, and they have a comfortable 9.5-game lead in the NL East. But the addition of another starter would likely give their bullpen a degree of comfort while also insuring themselves against the possibility of another injury to a starting pitcher.

The 24-year-old Ross had a 5.01 ERA in 73 2/3 innings this season, largely because of his 16 home runs allowed in that span. He posted 8.3 K/9, 2.4 BB/9 and a 37.5 GB% that had fallen off sharply from the 49.8% rate he posted as a rookie in 2015.

Nationals Place Joe Ross On 10-Day DL; Jayson Werth Rehab Slowed

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The Nationals have emerged from the break with two difficult pieces of injury news. Righty Joe Ross was placed on the 10-day DL, the club announced. Meanwhile, manager Dusty Baker said that outfielder Jayson Werth has not advanced as rapidly as had been hoped, as Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post tweets.

Ross was pulled from his most recent start after showing worrying velocity readings and command problems. While the DL placement isn’t a major red flag in and of itself, the accompanying details aren’t terribly encouraging.

For one thing, the team announced the injury as an elbow sprain; previously, it had been labeled triceps discomfort. For another, Baker hinted at significant concern, as Castillo also tweeted. “We’re preparing for it to be a longer situation,” he said while indicating that the club is awaiting the results of an MRI.

While the Nationals have some options to take innings while Ross is out — A.J. Cole, Jacob Turner, Austin Voth, and even old favorite Edwin Jackson —  none seem like particularly exciting replacements if there’s an extended absence. The Nats likely won’t feel the need to add another starter to a prospective postseason rotation, and have a comfortable division lead, but could now look to add another starter at the deadline — particularly if that player would profile as a relief arm in the playoffs.

As for Werth, it doesn’t seem there has been a drastic change. But his toe injury hasn’t progressed as quickly as the team anticipated, leading Baker to suggest there’s still some healing to do before Werth will be ready for a rehab stint. For an older player with such a lengthy injury history, there’s perhaps a bit of added concern here.

It’s not clear whether Werth’s status will really change the club’s deadline plans, but there’s an argument to be made that it should. While the Nats have enjoyed stronger-than-expected performances from Michael Taylor and Brian Goodwin, the former is on the DL himself, and those two are perhaps best deployed as a platoon in center. (After all, the team is already covering for the loss of Adam Eaton, and it’s reasonable to anticipate some regression from those two homegrown assets.) Though veteran righty bats Chris Heisey and Ryan Raburn are still on hand as well, there’s some room for an addition to the outfield (or, perhaps, a utility type that could also help make up for the absence of shortstop Trea Turner).

Ultimately, there are quite a few more moving parts to the Nationals’ deadline than had been expected. While the club can reasonably assume that some of its injury woes will resolve over the coming weeks, the additional problems revealed today seem to boost the uncertainty.

With Ross heading to the DL and lefty Sammy Solis destined for an optional assignment to Triple-A, where he’ll try to solve his problems since returning from a lengthy DL stint, the Nats have promoted two new relief arms. Righties Austin Adams and Trevor Gott — both acquired in deals from the Angels over the past two years — will become the latest hurlers to attempt to aid the beleaguered unit.

Nationals Release Francisco Rodriguez

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The Nationals have released veteran closer Francisco Rodriguez, reports Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com (via Twitter). The 35-year-old righty had inked a minor league pact with Washington following his release from the Tigers.

K-Rod was clobbered for a 7.82 ERA through 25 1/3 innings with the Tigers this season, though he yielded only one run in five minor league frames while in the Nats’ system. Then again, he picked up only two strikeouts against three walks in that time while also throwing a wild pitch. The Nationals never viewed Rodriguez as a definitive help to their ailing bullpen, and apparently weren’t impressed enough in to give him a look in the Majors. K-Rod reportedly had a July 12 opt out in his minors deal with the Nats, though it’s not clear if he exercised that pact or if the Nationals simply cut bait.

Nats In Mix For Brad Hand

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  • The Yankees, Nationals, Dodgers, Cubs, Brewers, Royals, Angels and Mariners could all be in the mix for lefty Brad Hand, Heyman reports. Regarding the Dodgers, Heyman and Robert Murray report that San Diego asked Los Angeles for top prospect Alex Verdugo in return, though there’s “no likelihood” of L.A. meeting that price. The Padres are also getting calls on cheap starters Trevor Cahill, Clayton Richard and Jhoulys Chacin, each of whom inked a one-year deal worth $1.75MM this past offseason.

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