Washington Nationals: Five possible starting pitching trade targets
The Washington Nationals have a lot of work to do as they approach the All-Star Break. With a lack of depth in the rotation, who should they acquire?
The Washington Nationals are in the unusual position of needing a starting pitcher as the trade deadline approaches on July 31st. What was once a strength has become a glaring weakness over the last month.
For the first 55 games of the season, the Nationals rotation led the National League with a 2.86 ERA. Since the start of June, however, the starting ERA is over 6. Even worse, Nationals starting pitchers are averaging less than five innings a start so far in the month of July.
Only Max Scherzer has been excellent all season and is in the conversation for his third consecutive NL Cy Young.
Gio Gonzalez and Tanner Roark got off to great starts but lately have been mediocre at best. Jeremy Hellickson has returned from injury but rarely goes through an opposing lineup more than twice.
Jefry Rodriguez and Erick Fedde have filled in when needed, but neither has shown that they are ready to be Major League starters. Former All-Star Stephen Strasburg has been on the DL since June 10th and is set to return in the next few weeks, but the Mike Rizzo should still consider adding to their rotation.
If the Nationals want to compete with the Philadelphia Phillies and the Atlanta Braves for the division title, then they’ve got to acquire at least another arm for their rotation. Here are five realistic options Rizzo should consider.
Chris Archer
Chris Archer has been involved in trade rumors for multiple seasons now, but the Tampa Bay Rays have yet to be swayed by an offer. He’s been supplanted as the ace of the staff by Blake Snell, however, and could be more available than ever before for the Washington Nationals.
The right-hander is having a difficult season, going 3-4 with a 4.41 ERA in 14 starts this season. His less than dominant displays on the mound could make him even more expendable, despite the Rays having a winning record.
Archer is an intriguing option for the Nationals because he offers so much upside. With a change of scenery, he could return to putting up ace-like numbers like he was doing a few seasons ago. He would also seemingly benefit from a switch to the National League.
Because Archer is under team control through the 2021 season, it’s going to take a significant prospect return from the Nationals. If Wilson Ramos is included in the deal, top SS prospect Carter Kieboom might not be enough to get it done. The Nats would probably still need a couple more prospects from their top 10.
The Nats could also consider Archer’s rotation colleague Nathan Eovaldi, who is pitching well in a resurgent season coming back from major injuries.
Eovaldi is actually having a better year than Archer and is only signed through the rest of the year. But obviously, Archer’s upside and controllability make him more desirable overall.
Cole Hamels
Cole Hamels is another big name that’s been surfacing this season as we near the trade deadline. And the Washington Nationals could pounce if the price is right.
The former Philadelphia Phillies ace is 4-8 with a 4.28 ERA in 18 appearances, and the Texas Rangers are dead last in the otherwise competitive American League West.
Hamels put up some nice numbers when he first got to Texas, but he’s had some troubles over the last few seasons, putting up ERA’s over 4 in each of the last two years. He’s also on pace to put up a career high in walks here in 2018.
The problem with Hamels is that he’s 34 years old and still owed $23.5 million this season and $20 million in 2019. The left-hander has been in a steady decline since being sent to the Rangers in July of 2015.
Several other teams including the New York Yankees and the Phillies are interested in acquiring Hamels, so the Rangers will get to choose the best offer.
Unless the Rangers have a particular prospect that they’re enamored with, they’ll sell to the highest bidder. Combine that with the amount Hamels would cost in salary, and it’s unlikely that the Nationals would be interested in the southpaw.
Michael Fulmer
Detroit Tigers youngster Michael Fulmer is an interesting possibility for the Washington Nationals.
Despite being only 25 and still 5 years from free agency, he’s frequently been mentioned in trade rumors. The Tigers are in a rebuilding mode, and Fulmer provides them with a valuable asset that could be traded for a large return.
The former Rookie of the Year is 3-8 in 2018 with an ERA of 4.11, which is significantly higher than his first two seasons in the league. He’s not as much of a strikeout pitcher as the previous names in this list, but still averages 7.6 strikeouts per 9 innings.
This is a young pitcher with tremendous upside. There normally aren’t many opportunities for teams to add a young pitcher with this much potential mid-season. And for him to be so far from arbitration is another added bonus.
Acquiring the twenty-five-year-old would be both a short-term and long-term solution for Mike Rizzo. He’d add a potential front-line starter in Fulmer to partner with Scherzer and Strasburg atop the Nationals’ rotation for the next three and a half seasons.
To get Fulmer, the Nationals would have to at least center a deal around Carter Kieboom and include another big prospect like Daniel Johnson. The Tigers would probably request another player or prospect who is MLB ready.
Danny Duffy
Danny Duffy and the Kansas City Royals have had a season to forget. Could the Washington Nationals and Royals work out a second deal in a matter of weeks?
At 26-65, the team is definitely selling at the deadline. Their lefty starter will be one of their most highly-coveted assets despite his 4.89 ERA this season.
Adding Duffy would feel much like the Jeremy Hellickson signing. While it wouldn’t add much excitement among the fan-base, the team would add depth and improve.
And coming over from a last place team could provide Duffy with a bit of motivation that’s been lacking while playing for a last-place team.
Duffy feels like a prototypical Mike Rizzo-esque acquisition. It would solve a short-term problem while serving a long-term purpose.
He’s been on the mound in multiple World Series and is under contract through the 2021 season. It’d be an under-the-radar move that would provide the Nationals with much-needed rotation depth and experience.
Even though there are multiple years of team control, Duffy’s struggles combined with his extensive injury history could drive his price down. With the Royals desperate to rebuild and stock their farm system, the Nationals could bring him to D.C. without parting with a top 5 prospect.
J.A. Happ
The most common rumor floating around the league these days regards Toronto Blue Jays pitcher J.A. Happ. He could be one of the better rental options for the Washington Nationals.
Despite a bloated 4.44 ERA this season, he was selected to the All-Star Game and has 10 wins.
What makes Happ so enticing is that he’s a mid-rotation starter with a contract that expires at the end of the year. The team that acquires him will be able to upgrade their rotation without losing a big prospect.
And if he doesn’t work out, the team will only have to employ him through the end of the season. While Happ wouldn’t be a flashy move for anyone, it could be a difference-making upgrade, especially for the Nats.
The journeyman southpaw makes the most sense for the Nationals if they are just looking for a cheap option that provides them with depth. Acquiring Happ or even Nathan Eovaldi from the Rays would provide the Nats with another experienced starter without jeopardizing the future.
From a prospect standpoint, perhaps someone like Jackson Tetreault may be enough. The Nats 11th ranked prospect according to MLB.com has an underwhelming 3-7 record with a 4.54 ERA. But he has turned things around of late and strikes out more than a batter an inning.
Next: Which prospects could the Nats deal?
The Washington Nationals rotation has been arguably the main cause of their demise lately. If the team does indeed buy at the trade deadline, expect them to add a starting pitcher.