Washington Nationals Get Jimmy Cordero From Phillies
By Ron Juckett
Washington Nationals get the young reliever from the Philadelphia Phillies for cash considerations. Hope he can develop his slider.
The Washington Nationals bolstered their bullpen Wednesday morning by trading for Jimmy Cordero from the Philadelphia Phillies.
In return, the Nationals will send a player to be named later or cash considerations.
Cordero, a 25-year-old righty from the Dominican Republic, was originally signed by the Toronto Blue Jays before the 2012 season.
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After three seasons with the Jays organization, he moved to the Phillies for Ben Revere at the trade deadline with fellow pitcher Alberto Tirado. After spending all of 2016 climbing the Phillies’ ladder, they recently released him off their 40-man active roster.
In four seasons in the United States, Cordero established himself as a hard-throwing reliever without the skill to close games. A multi-inning reliever that can hit triple digits, he has control issues. He walks 4.4-per-9 throughout his career while fanning batters at an 8.8 rate.
Bouncing all over the minor-league map, Cordero has pitched most at Double-A. In his 41 games at New Hampshire and Reading, he has a strong WHIP of 1.079 in 54.2 innings. At that level, he pitches to contact, striking out 46 in 54.2 innings. He keeps the ball in the yard, scattering two home runs during that period.
Now with his third team in five years, Cordero comes to Washington not ready for the Major Leagues. Appearing in one game for the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs, he allowed four earned runs in 1.2 innings. He will start 2017 in Double-A Harrisburg unless he wows the staff in Spring Training.
Although he is in his mid-20s, Cordero is nearly a year younger than the average Triple-A player. Promoted often he has yet to appear in over 22 games for one team, the A-ball Lansing Lugnuts in 2013. Perhaps stability will be good for him. After a couple months wherever he lands in the Nats organization, we can get a proper read what his role will be.
For now, Cordero is a prospect that can eat innings, but does not have the stuff to start or close.