The Nationals were in the mix for Aroldis Chapman right up until the end of the Yankees’ negotiations with the Cubs, reports ESPN’s Jayson Stark, and general manager Mike Rizzo and his staff are still on the hunt for a relief ace that could anchor the back of the bullpen and provide an upgrade over Jonathan Papelbon. Citing rival clubs that have spoken with the Nationals, Stark reports that Andrew Miller, Wade Davis and David Robertson are all on the radar for the Nats.
The asking price on Miller and Davis is said to be otherworldly, of course, as evidenced by a recent report from Yahoo’s Jeff Passan which stated that the Royals kicked around Lucas Giolito’s name when internally discussing the notion of trading Davis. Beyond that, Stark reported yesterday that the package sent from the Cubs to the Yankees in exchange for Chapman — Gleyber Torres, Adam Warren, Billy McKinney and Rashad Crawford — wouldn’t have pried Davis away from Kansas City. The price on Miller, as has been the case since discussions about potentially trading him surfaced back in May, is exceptionally high. The Yankees were said to be fixated on Kyle Schwarber in talks pertaining to Miller, and Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports again emphasizes that the Yankees would want MLB-ready talent from the Nationals in exchange for Miller, suggesting that names like Giolito and Joe Ross could surface in talks.
According to Stark, the Nationals aren’t willing to part with Giolito, Trea Turner or Reynaldo Lopez in their quest to upgrade the bullpen, which makes the addition of either Miller or Davis seem decidedly unlikely. Robertson, on the other hand, would perhaps be another story given the facts that he’s owed roughly $29.15MM through the end of his contract and hasn’t seen his results with the White Sox match up with his otherwise pristine track record.
Robertson has managed an excellent strikeout rate both this year and last, and his 2016 ground-ball rate of 46.7 percent is the second-best of his career. However, he’s sporting a troublesome 4.46 ERA with the Sox this season and has a 3.82 mark since signing with the team. Robertson has struggled with location, leading to an increase in walks (4.7 BB/9) and home runs (1.3 HR/9, 14.3 percent homer-to-flyball ratio) in 40 1/3 innings this year. Optimists can point to the fact that 16 of the 20 runs yielded by Robertson since Opening Day have come across just four disastrous outings and he’s been otherwise excellent, but the bottom-line results haven’t been as consistent as the ChiSox would hope.
Beyond the prospects the Nationals would have to surrender, finances also have to factor into the equation. Washington reportedly struggled to attract free agents this offseason because the club had to factor deferred money into nearly all of its offers, in part due to the longstanding dispute with the Orioles over the shared MASN television network rights fees. (The Nats also convinced Papelbon to take a slightly lesser 2016 salary than his club option called for in exchange for exercising it immediately upon completion of last summer’s trade.) Robertson’s salary is the most prohibitive, but Davis is slated to earn $10MM next season via a club option, and Miller is owed $9MM in each of the next two seasons. None of the three is an insurmountable sum, but the finances involved with each reliever in question add another layer to the calculus of negotiating a trade.
I think one of the Brewers relievers may be the way to go. Jeffress, Smith and Thornburg are all controllable and have a low salary number. I am not sure the cost but I think it is worth looking in to
They would probably ask for Lopez and some lower level prospects
They would definitely be cheaper than Davis or Miller, but seeing as they are all controllable for 3 more years it wouldn’t be too cheap. Thinking the Brewers would start the bid at Fedde and a low prospect or two. Seeing that he’s below Giolito and Lopez on the Nats pecking order they could be willing to part with him.
The Nationals should talk to the Rays about Colome. He has a 2.51 ERA, 2.41 FIP and 2.92 xFIP the last couple of seasons and has 4.5 seasons of control remaining. His numbers are better than Kimbrel’s and he also has better K%, BB%, FIP and xFIP than Wade Davis.
A package like Robles, Voth and Glover would get the Rays attention I’m sure.
Sorry, Davis has a 2.37 FIP compared to Colome’s 2.41 FIP. My bad.
Agreed. I never understood why the Rays back end bullpen guys never seem to draw much attention. Colome would be perfect but I doubt the Rays would want to part with him while he is making the minimum. I wonder if they would be willing to buy low on Boxberger. He should be returning soon and with his high salary I am sure the Rays would be willing to let him go.
If the Yankees value Ross has highly as they appear maybe they should think about offering Betances. They could probably get Ross+ if they made him available. Washington has plenty of rotation depth. Losing Ross would hurt but with Giolito and Lopez about ready they shouldn’t have a problem filling his spot.
Wade Davis for AJ Cole, Koda Glover and Matt Skole?
I don’t see why Robertson for Ross wouldn’t get it done. Thoughts?
It’d make sense for the White Sox if they plan on blowing it up and trading either/both of Sale or Quintana for hitting prospects.
Older reliever having an OKish year for a young controllable cheaper starter? Sox would have to add a lot.
The Nationals need to stay away from Robertson. He hasn’t been that effective this year. Papelbon has to go. He’s not getting the job done and it’s time to eat the loss and move on. If they can get Wade Davis, go for it.
That’s just not true at all. He has been SIGNIFICANTLY more effective than his ERA suggests. He’s given up 16 of his 20 runs on the year in 4 games (4 runs in the other 35). 3 of those games he shouldn’t have even been in – up 7-1 and the genius that is Robin Ventura put him in and let him give up 6 runs in a horrible outing; already losing 8-4 against the Nats and Robin decided to pitch him for some reason, and he gave up 3; and then Chris Sale had a 1 hit shutout through 8 with only 100 pitches, and for some reason, Robin decided that was a great time to switch things up (the reason being that Robin is an idiot). The blown save in Detroit a couple days ago where he gave up 3 homers was his only bad performance in a game that mattered that he SHOUlD have been in. Like I said, he has been MUCH more effective than his ERA suggests. 16 runs in 2.2 innings; 4 runs in the other 37.9 innings.
As a Nats fan:
They need somebody to actually replace Crapelbum (I’ve never liked him, never will like him) in the 9th inning. Miller or Davis would supplant him. Not sure Robertson, Gomez, Jeffers, or Colome would replace cancer, so in this case: yah the 6th/7th/8th inning gets better, but we still lose in the 9th!! As for the not trading Giolito/Lopez debate: I’m all for keeping positional prospects untradeable if they look like the real deal (like Bryant, Harper, Trea Turner, Lindor, Correrra, etc.) but you should let pitching prospects go. Miller & Davis are proven commodities that will help this franchise today, while in all likelihood Giolito & Lopez will make a handful of more starts this year (mostly in September), and won’t be a part of the playoff roster if they even get there. Sure Lopez & Giolito could turn out to be the next Randy Johnson & Pedro Martinez…..and yes that’ll suck in 2020 but it’s highly just as likely they turn into the next Trevor Cahill & Dustin McGowan. You never know because they are still prospects. You know for a fact Wade Davis & Andrew Miller are an improvement for your team. And since each comes with another year of control after this (& Miller 2 more years) you could easily, at the worst, swap them out in the offseason, next July, or in Miller’s case, the 2017 off season and try to recoup half of what you gave up. For a franchise that has all of 1 of NLCS appearance (81 in Montreal) playing in a city that hasn’t made a World Series in like 80 years, much less won one, you take the chance. Remember in 2012 at the Stras shutdown people were saying “well, this team will be here every year, so that’s the worry this year??” How’s that gone for them?? This team is not making the World Series, much less winning it, without a Miller/Davis makeover in the 9th. You never know what’s going to happen tomorrow (Murphy could revert to Mets regular season Murphy, Harper could prove 15 was a fluke, the SP suffers debilitating injury, and all of a sudden you finish 3rd this year because you wouldn’t trade Giolito, & you finish 4th in ’17 because the Braves made some good FA signings, and Giolito in his first full ML season finishes with a 8-17 record, 5.54 ERA, and a 1.96 WHIP, and than 2018 comes along, Harper’s last season, and they haven’t even sniffed the playoffs since July, 2016.
Ask the Royals & Yankees what they want. As long as it’s not Turner send either of them whatever they want, Giolito/Lopez/Ross/Voth/Difo/Cole/Fedde they can have anything. We have the chance after blowing it last year, don’t blow it again!
Amen. I would like to see this happen for America. It wouldn’t hurt to also add Carlos Beltran, to hit behind Harper. Tough to walk Harper then. Oh wait, I thought you meant Miller and Beltran to Cleveland. That would be interesting. Harper will be a Yankee soon enough.
Why wouldn’t Colome help in the 9th? He has 21 saves in 22 chances this year. If it is because Papelbon will complain, I have a feeling he will no matter who comes over to pitch the 9th.
Well said. You guys needs a solid back-end arm and maybe a setup guy too. I’d prefer not (as a Mets fan), but to compete with the Cubbies, rolling with Papsmear is asking for a painful sept/oct implosion.
ps. Murph is the real deal. Kevin Long fixed his swing and Murph has turned into a top-notch professional hitter. If Harper can bounce back a bit more, that is a scary middle of the lineup getting rolled out in DC.
Is Michael A. Taylor off the table? I just don’t see a place for him in DC anymore, considering Turner’s going to play CF among his super-utility duties, Revere is showing life, and Robles is the CF of the future.
As tantalizing as Reynaldo Lopez seems, the Nats might have to loosen up just a little and include him in hopes of getting Miller or Davis. Any other closer probably isn’t worth the trouble.
If the Nats want Miller or Davis they will most likely have to give up Giolito. They are both worth more than Chapman. Lopez will not get it done
In this market…yes…Miller/Davis may be valued more highly than a TOR prospect, but I think that is merely a ripple effect from the Royals’ last two years of success. That thinking should fade when people actually look at the numbers and project out cost in $’s, WAR (I know..but ppl like it), supply/demand, etc. A TOR prospect will always be worth more than a shutdown closer (sans Mariano or maybe Eck in his hayday) because there is still too much variance with BP arms to invest the years needed to maximize control (and sustain value for a trade, if necessary).
Closers are sitting on a bubble and much like Hammer Pants….people will wake up one day and wonder how they got sucked into the hype.