The Washington Nationals have a strong big three in their pitching rotation. But after trading Tanner Roark to the Cincinnati Reds, the Nats are left with Joe Ross who is still recovering from Tommy John and Erick Fedde. That is not a reassuring back end of the rotation. By trading Roark, the Nats freed up $9.8 million and should now spend that on another starter.
Dallas Keuchel
Keuchel is the best pitcher available on the open market. The 30-year-old won the 2015 AL Cy Young for the Houston Astros. This past year he went 12-11 with a 3.74 ERA and 153 strikeouts. He has been battling injury problems the past few years, but when healthy he is one of the most consistent pitchers in the game. He is a four-time Gold Glove winner and rarely gives up home runs. Last year he had the highest groundball rate for qualified pitchers at 53.7 percent.
Unfortunately, this was a huge drop from 2017 when he had a ground ball rate of 66.8 percent. His swinging strike rate is down, and batters are beginning to make harder contact off of him. Despite this, Keuchel would be a huge addition to the back end of the rotation. When healthy, he can go deep into games and keeps the ball in play. He also brings plenty of post-season experience, which the Nats need. While he will not be as expensive as Corbin, Keuchel is still looking for a huge payday around 100 million. Washington is trying to stay under the salary cap and would be wise offering him a two-year deal.
Wade Miley
Wade Miley appeared to be finished in the MLB after his disastrous 2017 season. That year with the Baltimore Orioles, he went 8-15 and finished with a 5.61 ERA. Up until that point, Miley hadn’t had an ERA under 4 since 2013. The Milwaukee Brewers gave Miley a chance in 2018 and he repaid them handsomely. In 16 starts, Miley went 5-2 with a 2.57 ERA and was crucial in Milwaukee winning the Division.
According to MLB Trade Rumors, Washington has shown interest in the 32-year-old. They are hoping he can continue his success he had with the Brewers and replace Roark as the workhorse. Betting on Miley to not return to his former self is tricky. A one year deal would be the best decision. This way Washington can see if Miley can replicate his 2018 season.
Gio Gonzalez
Image Courtesy of WTOP.
Gonzalez played the last seven years for the Nationals before he was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers at the trade deadline. He had a down year last year, but was able to turn it around after the trade. Last season with the Nats he went 7-11 with a 4.57 ERA and 0.7 WAR. In seven starts with the Brewers, he went 3-0 with a 2.13 ERA and a 1.5 WAR. Washington knows what Gio is capable of and would be hoping he can continue his late-season success. Gio would help solidify the back end of the rotation and would add an extra lefty to the pitching staff.
Washington would spend less than the $9.8 million owed to Roark, allowing for them to also add a fifth starter. Gio was a fan favorite and would be a welcomed sight back in a Nationals uniform.
Feature Image From Wikipedia.
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