Should Nationals Take Chance on This Former Elite Dodgers Pitching Prospect?
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The Washington Nationals need pitching.
That has become apparent during this season as the lineup has flashed their high upside at times while the other side of the ball has been disappointing outside of MacKenzie Gore.
It's not barren in their pipeline with Travis Sykora and Jarlin Susana -- their first and second-ranked prospects -- looking like potential top-of-the-rotation arms, but they still seem a couple years away from being impact pitchers at the Major League level, which is going to hurt the Nationals during this rebuilding stage.
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Washington needs someone who can come in and potentially make an impact right now.
That could be Bobby Miller of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The former 29th overall pick of the 2020 draft was a highly-regarded prospect for the Dodgers, ranking in the top five of their pipeline from 2021-23 and top two in 2022 and 2023.
Miller looked the part when he was called up during the 2023 campaign, posting a 3.76 ERA across 22 starts with an 11-4 record, striking out 119 batters in 124 1/3 innings with just 32 walks allowed.
He seemed poised to be a future ace for Los Angeles when he struck out 11 batters in his season debut the following year, but after he was placed on the injured list with shoulder inflammation early on in the 2024 campaign, he hasn't been the same since.
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Miller has allowed 60 earned runs in 15 Major League games (14 starts) since 2023, which has resulted in him largely being relegated to Triple-A despite all the injuries the Dodgers have suffered to their pitching staff.
That has caused Clay Snowden of Just Baseball to list him as one of the best "change-of-scenery" trade candidates.
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The Nationals should be interested in landing Miller.
While thing haven't been pretty as of late, he's only 26 years old and has the pedigree that doesn't just grow on trees as a former first-round pick and highly-touted prospect.
Los Angeles could be looking to move Miller in a package that lands them someone who can be an impact player for them this year, which is where Kyle Finnegan should come into play.
It likely wouldn't just be a one-for-one trade, but if Washington is able to use Finnegan to buy-low on Miller and add a high-upside arm who is ready to pitch in their rotation immediately, then that would be a huge upgrade for them that could impact things positively in their future.
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Brad Wakai graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Journalism. While an undergrad, he worked at the student radio station covering different Penn State athletic programs like football, basketball, volleyball, soccer and other sports. Brad became the Lead Contributor for Nittany Lions Wire of Gannett Media where he continued to cover Penn State athletics. Currently, Brad is the Publisher for Washington Nationals On SI and covers multiple teams across the On SI network. He is the host of the sports podcast I Said What I Said, where he and his co-host discuss topics across the NFL, College Football, the NBA and other sports. You can follow him on Twitter: @bwakai