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Washington Nationals: Five potential waiver trade candidates

By Blake Finney

WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 28: General manager Mike Rizzo of the Washington Nationals talks to the media after a 5-1 victory against the Cincinnati Reds at Nationals Park on September 28, 2015 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 28: General manager Mike Rizzo of the Washington Nationals talks to the media after a 5-1 victory against the Cincinnati Reds at Nationals Park on September 28, 2015 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images) /
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Washington Nationals Matt Harvey
CINCINNATI, OH – JULY 28: Matt Harvey #32 of the Cincinnati Reds pitches in the third inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Great American Ball Park on July 28, 2018, in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images) /

Matt Harvey, SP – Cincinnati Reds

While he happens to be in town facing the Washington Nationals, the team may look at Cincinnati Reds starter, Matt Harvey. A long-time foe could make a lot of sense to add to a rotation that has been far from its best.

Harvey struggled early on in 2018 with the New York Mets, posting a 7.00 ERA in eight appearances. However, he’s managed to find something resembling a groove with the Reds.

The right-hander has made 14 starts with the team, and while his 4.44 ERA is underwhelming, he’s shown improvement in all the key metrics. His strikeout rate is up, and walk rate is down, while all of his pitches have gained an extra mile per hour.

He’s still nowhere near his All-Star self from 2013, but he’s certainly a serviceable third or fourth starter. Should an injury strike, or if Gio Gonzalez and Tanner Roark can’t keep up their recent success, he could be a nice and cheap solution.

He was reportedly on the team’s radar at the start of July, along with Red closer Raisel Iglesias. So there could already be some interest on the Nationals side of the equation.

His 2018 salary is just over $5.5m, so he should be able to clear waivers. However, if the Nats rotation improves back to it’s May levels, they should keep Harvey talks on the backburner.

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