Washington Nationals: Grading Mike Rizzo’s 10 biggest trades
By Brian Foley
2013 with Detroit
Doug Fister for Ian Krol, Steve Lombardozzi, and Robbie Ray
This trade was a straight up heist when it went down. Fister was dominant from 2011-13 with Seattle and Detroit, and then tossed up a 2.41 ERA over 164 innings in his first year in Washington. On the flip side, Lombardozzi was a punchless utility man, Krol was a middling reliever, and Ray was a lefty prospect who couldn’t find the zone even if he was talking to the catcher from the batter’s box. I’m not really sure what then-Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski was thinking, unless like Nats fans everywhere, he just really loved Lombo. Detroit was still a World Series contender at the time, and Fister had two more years on his bargain deal.
Fast forward to 2017, and it’s a different story. Fister struggled in his second and final year with the Washington Nationals, which carried over to mediocre stints in Houston and Boston. Lombardozzi and Krol have bounced around the league, though Ray has finally found a groove (albeit with Arizona). He still has control issues, but he is striking out over 11 batters per nine innings and owns a 3.15 ERA. At just 25 years old, Ray would be a nice piece to pair with Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg atop the rotation.