The Washington Nationals’ feel-good season is over, folks. Since winning series against the Athletics, Rockies and Diamondbacks after the All Star break, Washington has fallen on hard times. The Nats lost two of three to the Blue Jays, then dropped four in a row in Atlanta and two more in Philadelphia.
As a result, at the trade deadline, Washington became sellers. First, Curtis Mead went to the Red Sox for lefty Connelly Early, and then Luis Garcia was dealt to the Yankees for four pitchers. Washington’s All-Star pitcher, Foster Griffin, is now a Cleveland Guardian, in exchange for three more arms.
Some of those obtained for these three players should pay immediate dividends. Early, who’s coming off a minor injury, should fit right into the Nats’ rotation once he’s healthy. Yovanny Cruz and Jake Byrd, obtained in the Garcia trade, will fill holes in Washington’s bullpen, with Cruz likely to be the much-needed closer. Ex-Guardian Will Dion should immediately become Washington’s best lefty reliever.
Toboni sees “stable foundation”
Paul Toboni, Washington’s president of baseball operations, said the moves should create a “stable foundation over the long run, while also giving ourselves a chance to win this year.” That last part was unlikely to happen with the pitching staff as unreliable as it had been in the season’s first half.
The immediate effect of these moves, however, has been sobering. Washington’s league-leading offense took a hit with the departure of Mead and Garcia, compounded by James Wood going on the disabled list with an oblique injury. The effective chemistry achieved with Mead and Garcia in the lineup regularly seems greatly diminished. But the team desperately needed pitching, and the arms acquired through these moves should pay big dividends down the road, even if the team is less competitive in the near term.
The rest of this season will be about gauging the effect of this influx of pitching, while giving some of the organization’s top prospects a taste of the big leagues and finding out if they have the appetite for major league baseball.
