The Nationals have announced that they’ve acquired Twins closer Brandon Kintzler. The Twins will receive lefty Tyler Watson and the rights to international bonus spending in return ($500K worth, via a tweet from MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand). In a corresponding move, the Nationals have announced that they’ve designated righty Jimmy Cordero for assignment.
Kintzler could take over ninth-inning duties for a Nationals bullpen that has endured late struggles in recent seasons, though GM Mike Rizzo said today the precise bullpen alignment will be sorted out over the coming months. The veteran righty will become the third reliever to make his way to Washington this month, with Ryan Madson and Sean Doolittle having arrived previously from Oakland two weeks ago.
The 32-year-old Kintzler isn’t a prototypical closer, with strikeout rates of just 5.8 K/9 and 5.4 K/9 in the last two seasons. Nonetheless, he’s enjoyed success in the role those last two seasons, with a 2.98 ERA, a strong 1.7 BB/9 and 45 saves in that span. He throws his fastball in the 94-MPH range and gets good sink, leading to an excellent 57.8 career GB%. He’s making $2,925,000 this season and is eligible for free agency in the fall, making him a pure rental for the Nats.
The 20-year-old Watson earned a $400K bonus after the Nationals selected him in the 34th round of the draft in 2015. He was in the midst of a strong season with Class A Hagerstown, with a 4.35 ERA but with 9.5 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9 in 93 innings. MLB.com rated him the Nationals’ 17th-best prospect, noting that he rarely throws harder than 90 MPH but locates well, throws on a downhill plane and could add velocity as he matures.
Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post reported that the Nationals had acquired Kintzler. FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal tweeted that Watson was included in the deal.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
FAKE NEWS
You’re fake news
fgdfgdfgdfgdfg
Probably Drew Ward and Voth
Kintzler is a good piece. Hopefully the Twins got something of value back.
He sucks. He won’t be there next year
Knew the Nats would add a piece but hope it didn’t cost much
Tyler Watson is the return, per Rosenthal.
This is our closing savior? Great looks like we will be watching the WS from home again.
Robles and Soto better be joint MVP’s when they come up. Probably could have gotten osuna for one of them and some other prospects
If you understand how overrated the closer role is you would not be concerned by the absence of a ‘certified closer.’ There is no reason Madison, Doolittle, Kintzler and Glover, should he return, can’t close the Nats to a championship. No need for a savior, just everyone they’ve got staying healthy.
Madson, of course. Bleeping autocorrect.
The back end of the bullpen has to be shutdown. While 2 of the 3 have had success, the newest addition is sporting numbers that are not his norm. The imploding bullpen does not need more help in this area. Overvaluing an unproven commodity is just as bad if not worse than as you state over valuing a closer. Pretty sure cubs reproved that last year. Soto or Robles could have gotten say Osuna as the AL clubs swear by their hitting prospects. That would have been a far better idea
“The back end of the bullpen has to be shutdown.”
Can you provide some evidence in support of that statement. Sounds good but there’s little which supports it.
“The imploding bullpen . . .”
WTF are you talking about? Are we watching the same games?
“Overvaluing an unproven commodity . . .”
Um, that’s what scouting and player development is all about. *Everyone* was an unproven commodity at some point.
” . . . cubs reproved that last year.”
Um, no, they did not. With arguably the most shutdown reliever in baseball in Chapman they barely beat a Cleveland team whose best reliever was not their closer. Got any actual analysis to go with your declarations?
“Soto or Robles could have gotten say Osuna . . .”
I assume either one would have been sufficient, yes. And Osuna is a fine pitcher. Glad to add him at the right price.
“That would have been a far better idea.”
In theory, if trading for Osuna guaranteed the Nats a championship it might have made sense to give up one of the two. But the Nationals are a forward looking organization. Werth is gone next year. Harper may be gone after next year. MAT is 27 and never gonna be a star. The only bona fide starting outfielder the Nats are guaranteed to have on opening day, 2019, is Eaton.
If Rizzo, who retains his excellent eye for talent, still expects that Soto and Robles are future starting OFers he’d be foolish to trade that for someone who will, at best, pitch 50-70 innings a year, even though they may be high leverage innings. It’s a lot easier to find relievers, even very good ones, than it is stud OFers. The activity at the trading deadline appears to confirm this. How many closers changed teams vs. how many starting OFers?
IOW, The difference between the results you’ll get from their BP as it is constituted after this trade and what you’d get with an Osuna doesn’t justify the cost. But thanks for an intelligent, calm challenge. I sincerely appreciate it.
are you talking about Kintzler’s numbers being outside his norm? His career numbers vs his number this year are ERA 3.24 (career) / 2.78 (2017), K/BB% – 6.29 / 5.36, GB% – 57.8 / 53.9, WHIP – 1.25 / 1.15, SIERA 4.05 / 3.29. If anything his number this year are worse than his career numbers, now he’s doesn’t have that many innings so you could say he’s an unknown but to say his numbers are outside his norms is just factually wrong.
He means the Cubs acquired Chapman and Cleveland acquired Miller who could have been the closer and would have been on many teams with the same lineup. Arguing that a trade deadline acquisition of a shutdown reliever making a team much better in the short term has a number of examples.
Didn’t they just add Madson and Doolittle too? Geez.
And once again, the site is crashing as everyone feverishly clicks the refresh button to see what their team did at the last second!
Tyler Watson
Joe Blanton should be packing.
He is not bad just over worked And priced
No he’s been really bad. A little better lately though.
Who closes there. Dolittle?
No one, not even the ownership
That’s what the next two months are about. Figgering out who they want to use in that role. Which may end up being a bit of a BP by committee. Really, they have the time for this. Twelve game leads in August can do that for a team.
Ken rosenthal reporting Darvish has been traded
tony watson, decent A ball lefty they drafted out of high school a couple years ago, per ken rosenthal.
*Tyler. Tony was never Nats’ property to begin with.
who is the Twins closer???
Matt Belisle. I know. Sad state of affairs in the BP there.
They don’t need one. They aren’t a contender.
The Twins deemed Kintzler tradeable after management decided it was in the team’s best interest to not hold leads late in games for the rest of the year. If it does strangely happen, the plan is to let Chris Gimenez pitch the ninth.
What difference does holding a late lead make when you are destined for 3rd place? A closer can only save a game if you have a lead to begin with. The Twins are fading quickly and the Indians AND royals are scorching.
Closer Monkey says still Dolittle for now
Thanks for throwing in the towel Twins front office
9 percent chance of making playoffs. There was no real towel to throw.
He is not a dominant closer, so the Nationals will once again be out of the playoffs before the WS. Once again they failed to go all in and that half hearted effort will once again pay the same dividends they have seen in the past when it counts.
Looks like this will be the Dodgers year.
Playoffs aren’t won on paper, cheer up. We get to watch power house teams go head to head. It’ll be great.
Exactly. Enjoy the games. That’s what baseball should be about. Too many front runners who are only concerned with winning (a certain GMS III comes to mind).
Looking forward to Nats v. Dodgers and or Cubs this fall. While I’d like the Nats to win, not gonna lose interest in baseball if they don’t.
who is the dominant closer they should have gone all in on?
Kenley Jansen, this past offseason.
Its almost like players get to decide where they play and dont just go to the highest bidder… Just like Jansen
teams dont need a closer they need high leverage guys and kintzler is a ground ball expert that has been one of the best high leverage guys in the league this year
Whoo!? better be some quality innings out of the pen eitherwise Twins just give up Kintzler for free
I think they got a pretty good return for a rental reliever who doesn’t really miss bats.
Who will close for the Twins now ?
Two words: Big. Sexy.
It doesn’t matter who’s in the bullpen. Dusty has no idea how to handle one. Everywhere he goes he’s had a great team and finds a way to blow it. I watched it in Cincinnati for five years
Thats great. Good for you