Washington Nationals: What to expect in Winter Meetings based on simulation
By Drew Douglas
Trading Michael Taylor for Julio Teheran
With Joe Ross set to potentially miss the entire 2018 season after undergoing Tommy John Surgery last summer, the Nats have a need for a starting pitcher. In order to fill out the rotation, I traded Michael Taylor to the Seattle Mariners for Julio Teheran.
Teheran is on the Atlanta Braves in real life, but he had been traded to the Mariners early in the simulation. The Mariners had a need for an outfielder, and the Nats have a surplus of outfielders, so we each filled a need by swapping Taylor and Teheran.
In Teheran, the Nats get a 26-year-old starting pitcher who has already been named an All-Star twice in his career. He is coming off of the worst season of his career, but he was severely hurt by the Braves’ new ballpark, SunTrust Park.
At home, Teheran pitched to an atrocious 5.86 ERA in 17 starts. However, he was still the same old Teheran while on the road, pitching to a 3.14 ERA in 15 starts.
SunTrust Park was extremely hitter-friendly in its first season, rivaling Coors Field, which certainly hurt Teheran. Because of this, a trade from the Braves would be extremely beneficial for him.
Teheran is also under team control for three more seasons, which is great for the Nats. Ross will miss 2018, and Gio Gonzalez may be pitching elsewhere in 2019, so the Nats need a starter that is under team control for at least a few seasons.
Trading away Taylor was difficult, but acquiring Teheran made it worth it. Taylor is coming off of the best season of his career, and did a phenomenal job of filling in for Adam Eaton.
However, the Nats have a surplus of outfielders, including many young outfielders who should be good for years to come, so Taylor is expendable. Many fans will be upset if Taylor is traded, but if he brings in a solid starting pitcher, it makes the team better.