Nationals' Division Rival Monitoring Possibility of Trading for Foster Griffin
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The Washington Nationals got their trade deadline started early over the weekend.
In a late-night move on Saturday, the Nationals shipped breakout infielder Curtis Mead to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for left-handed pitcher Connelly Early. That one-for-one trade accomplished a couple of different things for Washington, as they acquired short-term help for their starting rotation while they also added a piece for their future.
However, all signs are pointing to the Nationals trading away their best pitcher ahead of the Aug. 3 deadline, as Foster Griffin couldn't agree to an extension with the team, which makes the likelihood of him getting dealt almost a certainty.
Suitors around the league will be lining up to acquire the left-handed starter who has an ERA of 2.76 across 21 starts. And it seems like one of Washington's division rivals is figuring out if they want to pull the trigger on landing Griffin.
Phillies Are Team to Watch in Foster Griffin Sweepstakes
"The Phillies and Rays each had a scout at Nats Park on Saturday to watch Foster Griffin," Spencer Nusbuam of The Athletic reported.
Griffin wasn't at his best during that outing against the Arizona Diamondbacks, as he allowed three earned runs over 6 2/3 innings pitched. But he did enough to earn win No. 12 on the season that puts him tied for second with three others across Major League Baseball.
Other teams are likely monitoring the southpaw, too, but it's notable that both the Philadelphia Phillies and Tampa Bay Rays were in attendance to see Griffin pitch in person. That signals some serious work is being done by contenders around the league who are eyeing pitching help, and it's yet another reason why the All-Star is likely going to be shipped out of town.
Return for Foster Griffin Could Be Lower Than Anticipated
However, Nusbaum also shared an interesting bit of information regarding the return that Griffin might generate, as the insider stated that he would "temper expectations" regarding what Griffin could net in a trade.
That's hard to believe considering Griffin has been one of the best starting pitchers in the majors this year with a sub-3.00 ERA and double-digit wins. But considering he has an expected ERA of 3.92 and he's scheduled to become a free agent after the season, then it makes more sense why some teams around the league might not offer some of their best prospects to add the left-hander to their roster.
Does that mean the Nationals might just hold onto Griffin for the rest of the year? That seems unlikely. Washington still wants to acquire some long-term assets for their farm system, and Griffin should be able to help with that even if he doesn't bring in a king's ransom.
Regardless, with the Phillies and Rays now at least monitoring Griffin, there could be a bidding war coming between contenders before the trade deadline.
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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