Foster Griffin has gone from a one-year Nationals stopgap to one of the more intriguing names floating around the trade market, and the Guardians make a lot of sense as a team that should at least check in.
Washington signed Griffin on Dec. 23, 2025, to a one-year, $5.5 million deal with the idea that he could soak up innings and help a young roster on the mound. Instead, he’s turned that modest bet into an All-Star season, earning a spot on the National League team as a replacement on Saturday.
That’s a pretty sharp turn for a pitcher who spent the previous three seasons in Japan after his first MLB stint didn’t go the way he wanted.
Griffin has been a real weapon for the Nationals, which is exactly why any trade conversation would likely start high. Washington has every reason to ask for plenty in return, especially with Griffin producing at this level on a cheap contract. But Cleveland should still be in the mix because his fit is obvious.
At the All-Star break, Griffin owned a 2.77 ERA across 110 1/3 innings, with 109 strikeouts and just 29 walks. He’s sitting in the 87th percentile in walk rate at 5.8% and the 97th percentile in fastball run value.
The fastball only averages 91.5 miles per hour, but it plays in a deep seven-pitch mix that leans heavily on cutters and sweepers. He also works in a changeup that he throws only to right-handers, plus a curveball, sinker and splitter.
He’s also finished strong. Griffin entered the break with a 1.25 ERA over his last seven starts, which only adds to the case that this isn’t just a hot first half.
Even if this ends up being the best season of his career, Griffin has already shown he can handle a No. 3 starter role and give a team innings. For Cleveland, that matters because the contract is only for 2026, so the concern wouldn’t be about some long-term gamble. It would be about next season and nothing more.
The Guardians have used the same five starters all year, but that stability comes with a warning label: there isn’t much MLB-ready depth behind them. One injury could change the picture fast.
The tricky part is that any move for Griffin would likely push someone out of the current rotation. Early in the year, Slade Cecconi or Joey Cantillo looked like the most obvious candidates.
That’s not quite as simple now. Cantillo has posted a 1.59 ERA over his last six starts, while Cecconi has put up a 3.73 ERA over that same stretch.
Cecconi would still be the likeliest pitcher to lose his rotation spot if Cleveland made a move, but after the way both he and Cantillo have pitched lately, it’s no longer the easy call it once seemed to be.
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Guardians First Place Push Could Soon Get A Major Lineup Lift
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Jose Ramirezs return from a hand injury is still a key piece of the puzzle, and Angel Martinez is also working back from a foot injury, giving the club a chance to add impact bats without waiting on outside help. Even if the internal reinforcements arrive on schedule, the front office could still look for more at the trade deadline, especially with young talent and some payroll flexibility giving Cleveland options as it tries to stay on top of the division. [Read more 🡒]
Ralphy Velazquez Put Guardians Fans On Notice At The Futures Game
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Velazquez has already moved quickly this season, beginning at Double-A before reaching Triple-A, where he has continued to look like a bat that belongs on the radar. The Futures Game performance fit the larger picture around him: a young player whose path is moving upward, with enough polish to make a national audience take notice and enough upside to leave Cleveland wondering how soon he might force the issue. [Read more 🡒]