Nationals 'Assessing' Whether to Trade Foster Griffin or Extend Him
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In a year where multiple Washington Nationals players are in the midst of career-best seasons, the play of left-handed pitcher Foster Griffin might be the most remarkable thing that's taking place.
After spending the past three years playing in Japan, Griffin returned to the United States on a one-year, $5.5 million deal. Not much was made of his signing at the time, as he wasn't a standout player during his first stint in the majors despite being the No. 28 overall pick in the 2014 draft. But he's been a revelation for the Nationals and their struggling pitching staff, as he was named an All-Star and sits with an ERA of 2.68 through 20 starts.
Because of that, Griffin is now a trade asset for Washington. They could decide to deal him ahead of the deadline to bolster their farm system. Some teams believe that's going to happen, however, the Nationals are reportedly also weighing whether or not to lock him into an extension.
Nationals Could Keep Foster Griffin Around Long Term
According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (subscription required), they are "still assessing" everything when it comes to what they are going to do with Griffin ahead of the trade deadline. That includes keeping him on the roster through the end of the season and letting him become a free agent after the campaign ends, or even locking him into an extension.
Extending Griffin is an interesting wrinkle in this situation. He has unquestionably been the team's best pitcher this season, and at the age of 30 with not a lot of tread on his tires, he could be entering his prime just now. That would give Washington a frontline starter to pair with Cade Cavalli while they wait for their top pitching prospects to reach the majors, which would be a huge boon for the franchise in the short-term.
Getting an extension worked out before the season ends might be easier said than done, though. Griffin could look to cash in after the year he's had, and that might make it difficult for the Nationals to retain him if he hits the open market.
Because of that, Rosenthal reported that "some rival executives believe a Foster Griffin trade is inevitable."
Executives Believe Foster Griffin Will Get Traded
In a vacuum, that shouldn't be too big of a surprise. Along with Luis Garcia Jr., Griffin is clearly the best trade asset for Washington that could net them more long-term pieces for their rebuild. But what a Griffin trade would do to the clubhouse is something the organization also has to factor in to the equation, as the current players want the front office to buy, so shipping out their best starting pitcher could be deflating as they try to push for the postseason.
While this report from Rosenthal doesn't give a ton of insight into what the Nationals are going to do when it comes to Griffin, it does make it clear that president of baseball operations Paul Toboni isn't solely focused on trading away parts of the big league roster since he is reportedly thinking about extending Griffin to build around him for success in the near 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