The Pittsburgh Pirates are expected to chase pitching help before the trade deadline, and one name that has surfaced as a possible fit is Nationals left-hander Foster Griffin.
ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan both listed the Pirates as a landing spot for Griffin, a veteran who is back in the majors for the first time in three years after pitching for the Yomiuri Giants in Japan’s Nippon Baseball League. Griffin has quietly put together one of the more impressive seasons in baseball, even if he hasn’t gotten the same attention as some bigger names.
He has worked mostly as a starter for Washington this year, and that part of his profile is what makes him interesting for Pittsburgh. The Pirates need bullpen help more than another arm for the rotation, but Griffin’s versatility could give them options. He could fit as a spot starter, or he could slide into a bulk relief role against left-handed-heavy lineups.
That left-handed depth is a real issue for Pittsburgh right now. The club has only two lefties on the staff, both relievers in Mason Montgomery and Gregory Soto. Evan Sisk just landed on the 15-day injured list with left elbow inflammation, and rookie Hunter Barco, who had been with Triple-A Indianapolis, is on the 7-day injured list as well.
Griffin would help balance that out. Pittsburgh’s rotation is built around five right-handers - Paul Skenes, Jared Jones, Mitch Keller, Braxton Ashcraft and Bubba Chandler - and while that’s not unusual, it can leave a staff exposed against lineups stacked with left-handed bats.
The numbers Griffin has posted for the Nationals this season explain why he’s on the radar. He is 9-2 in 18 starts with a 2.87 ERA over 103.1 innings, along with 100 strikeouts, 26 walks, a .210 batting average allowed and a 1.04 WHIP.
He also stacks up well across the league. Griffin ranks 11th-lowest in batting average allowed, 12th-lowest in WHIP, 14th-lowest in ERA, tied for 15th-best K/BB at 3.85, tied for 18th-most innings pitched and 18th-lowest BB/9 at 2.26.
The recent stretch has been even better. Griffin has allowed just five earned runs over his last six starts since the beginning of June, including one run against the Pirates at Nationals Park on July 3 in a 9-5 Washington win. Pittsburgh did tag him for four runs over 5.1 innings in an 8-7 extra-inning loss at PNC Park on April 16, the second-most runs he has allowed in a start this season.
One reason Griffin is appealing is the contract situation. He is only under team control for the rest of this season, which should keep the asking price lower than it would be for a pitcher with multiple years left.
There is also a clear matchup angle. Against left-handed hitters in 2026, Griffin has held them to a .153 batting average allowed and a 0.74 WHIP.
His pitch mix adds another layer. Griffin throws seven pitches, and his cutter has been especially effective, producing a +9 run value from Statcast, the best mark of any cutter in baseball this season.
Still, Pittsburgh’s bigger priority appears to be the bullpen. The Pirates would likely prefer to focus on a closer or another high-leverage arm, with a reunion with Aroldis Chapman mentioned as one possibility.
There is also the matter of the Nationals’ position in the standings. Washington is still in the National League Wild Card race at 47-45, and if that remains the case through the month, it would be hard to imagine them moving their best starter.
McDaniel and Passan also pointed to teams like the Chicago Cubs and San Diego Padres, clubs with more urgent rotation needs and the kind of trade chips that could make a deal more realistic.
Griffin is a name worth watching, but for the Pirates, the likelier path still seems to be adding to the late innings and trying to steady the bullpen for the stretch run.
In Other News...
Pirates Just Got A Brutal Konnor Griffin Update At The Worst Time
Konnor Griffin had only just worked his way back into the Pirates lineup and was starting to look like a steady presence at shortstop again before another setback hit. The rookie had been giving Pittsburgh a welcome boost with his bat and overall production, which made the timing of this latest injury especially frustrating for a club trying to find any kind of rhythm in the middle of the season.
The Pirates now have to decide how aggressive to be with the 20-year-old, because there is at least some thought that he could try to play through it. More likely, though, is a cautious path that keeps him out long enough to heal properly and gives Pittsburgh a chance to get him back later in the year, if the rehab goes the way it needs to. [Read more 🡒]
Pirates Injury Picture Just Got More Urgent Before Second Half
The Pirates got a little relief on the injury front as the All-Star break approaches, with Oneil Cruz and Spencer Horwitz both moving in the right direction and trending toward a return shortly after the pause. Cruz has been progressing well from left hand fractures, while Horwitz is also coming along from a left hamstring strain, giving Pittsburgh a chance to get two important pieces back as the second half gets underway.
Wilber Dotel is still working through his own recovery from a lat strain and is set for another minor-league rehab appearance as part of that process. The bigger concern, though, is Endy Rodrguez, who left a recent game with left side discomfort and remains under evaluation, adding another layer of uncertainty to a roster that could use a cleaner bill of health once the schedule flips. [Read more 🡒]