The Nationals will acquire reliever Hunter Strickland from the Mariners, according to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. Lefty Aaron Fletcher’s going to Seattle in return.
Strickland’s the third reliever of the day heading to the bullpen-needy Nationals. He’s the second on his way from the Mariners, who previously traded lefty Roenis Elias to the Nationals. The Nats also landed righty Daniel Hudson from the Blue Jays.
Strickland, a former Giant whom the Mariners signed to a $1.3MM guarantee in the offseason, has barely pitched this year. A lat strain kept him out of action from the end of March until earlier this week. Strickland made his first appearance in almost four months last Sunday, throwing a clean inning against the Tigers.
Considering the 30-year-old Strickland has totaled just 3 1/3 frames this year, there’s not much to glean from his performance. But he was largely an effective option with the Giants from 2014-18, a 226-inning span in which the hard thrower notched a 2.91 ERA/3.40 FIP with 8.4 K/9 and 3.15 BB/9. Strickland also had a memorable dustup with then-Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper during that period, though that’s obviously not a concern now with Harper a member of the Phillies.
Strickland could be a multiyear piece for the Nationals, who will have a chance to control him via arbitration for two seasons after this one. Meanwhile, the hope for the Mariners is that Fletcher will be around for much longer. The 23-year-old, whom the Nationals chose in the 14th round of the 2018 draft, has divided this season among the Single-A, High-A and Double-A levels, pitching to a sterling 1.79 ERA with 10.3 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9 in 60 1/3 innings. Fletcher ranked as the Nationals’ 21st-best prospect prior to the trade, according to MLB.com, which sees him as a potential major league reliever.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
So Elias AND Strickland?
I think the report on Elias was just wrong … Or maybe the the Mariners had their eye on a specific player at the Nats said theyd make the deal if it was for Strickland.
and now I see they got them both… in what appears to be two separate deals with the same team within minutes. That’s strange.
Might be to isolate part of the total exchange from a possible failed Strickland physical.
Strickland and Harper in the same division? Get the popcorn!
Please let Strickland wear Harper’s #34 jersey!!! Please!!!
i know, I didn’t care about the division, but now am interested to see Strickland in a nats uniform throwing at harper
Then dont whine when a phillies pitcher drills a nats player in return !!!!
The Nats have built quite the mediocre bullpen today. I guess anything is a step up from what they already had.
They put the tire fire out and now have a stack of soggy, half-burned tires.
Well done sir!
First
For Aaron Fletcher…steal
No u weren’t.
Weird that it’s a separate trade from the Elias one
Nats picking up ALL the relievers
All the bad ones.
Interesting.
Where’s Bryce…oh
And immediately trade him to the Phillies so he can be teammates with Bryce Harper
Two separate deals within that short amount of time? You’d think they’d have just done them together.
Nationals bullpen went from bad to medicore today.
Better than nothing and better than giving up Kieboom for Greene
I’d kill for that type of improvement as a Cubs fan…
The most anti-Bryce Harper team
As a Braves fan, I am okay with this
Grab popcorn for the first matchup against Harper
Hudson, Elias and Strickland all added. Now, which 3 in the Nats bullpen lose their job? Guesses?
The bullpen catcher.
Gonna say Rodney probably played his last game as a National today
Strickland is a head case. And a terrible pitcher.
Untrue on terrible pitcher part at least
Are Nat fans going to boo him when he comes into games?
No. At this point, there is only goodwill. I’m sure he will blow something at some point and earn the boos.
Plain and simple. Fire Mike Rizzo as this fire extinguisher crap has gotten out of hand.