Nationals Complete Trade With Astros to Bring in Another Reliever
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The Washington Nationals are fully aware of their shortcomings in the bullpen.
With less than a month until the trade deadline arrives, the front office has tried to add as many new arms to the mix as possible before they have to decide whether or not they are going to give up assets to obtain established major league relievers. By using the waiver wire and making low-level trades the past few weeks, they have created more depth in their minor league ranks.
On July 3, the Nationals decided to bring in another option with MLB experience, as Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors reported that Washington acquired left-handed pitcher Tom Cosgrove from the Houston Astros in exchange for cash.
Nationals Bring in More Depth With Addition of Tom Cosgrove
Cosgrove, a 12th-round pick back in the 2017 draft by the San Diego Padres, didn't make his major league debut until 2023. That season, he had a great year. He posted a 1.75 ERA across 54 outings with 44 strikeouts and 19 walks over 44 1/3 innings pitched. It looked like he was going to be a staple in their bullpen, but he struggled the following season.
Across 18 total appearances, he had an ERA of 11.66. While he struck out 15 batters in 14 1/3 innings pitched with only six walks, he gave up a ton of contact with 23 hits allowed. That caused the Padres to start him in the minors at the beginning of the 2025 campaign before they traded him to the Chicago Cubs on April 10, 2025.
There, it seemed like Cosgrove had figured some things out. Across two outings and four innings pitched, he gave up just one earned run on three hits with three strikeouts and one walk. But following his appearance on May 9, he wasn't used by the Cubs again and was designated for assignment. Ahead of this season, he signed a minor league deal with the Astros, but he wasn't recalled to the bigs. That could change now that he's part of Washington's organization.
What Tom Cosgrove's Role Might Be
It will be interesting to see how Cosgrove is utilized by the Nationals if they call him up to their major league roster at any point in the near future.
Two of Washington's left-handers -- Richard Lovelady and Mitchell Parker -- were moved to the injured list, so they are in need of a lefty who can either be a long reliever, an opener or someone who can come in for high-leverage spots to get out left-handed hitters.
Carson Palmquist seems to be the leading candidate to take over the long relief role since he came up the ranks as a starting pitcher. However, he was used as an opener during his second outing for the Nationals, so he has some flexibility when it comes to how manager Blake Butera can deploy him.
But if Washington feels like Cosgrove will give them another weapon to use in matchup-specific situations, then he might get another shot to prove what he can do in The Show before too long.
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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