The Washington Nationals kept moving on Friday, and this time the focus shifted from the future to the bullpen right now.
After locking up Jacob Young on a four-year extension that will keep him in Washington through at least 2030, with a club option for 2031, president of baseball operations Paul Toboni swung another deal with the San Francisco Giants. According to Spencer Nusbaum of The Athletic, the Nationals landed left-handed reliever Reiver Sanmartin in exchange for right-handed reliever Robert Cranz.
It’s the second trade between the clubs this offseason. Washington already brought in infielder Nate Furman from San Francisco at the start of November.
Sanmartin gives the Nationals a pitcher with real big league mileage. He has 86 career MLB appearances out of the bullpen, including 24 with the Giants last season, when he posted a 4.22 ERA over 21 1/3 innings with 16 strikeouts and seven walks.
The 30-year-old’s path has been a long one. He originally signed with the Texas Rangers as an international free agent in 2015, later spent time with the Yankees and Reds, and then joined San Francisco after being claimed off waivers for the 2026 season. His year with the Giants got off to a delayed start because he opened on the 60-day injured list with a right hip flexor strain, and he didn’t make his first appearance until June 10.
Sanmartin was designated for assignment by San Francisco on Nov. 2, and Washington moved quickly enough to get him by dealing away an asset. The left-hander’s numbers help explain the interest: a 32.1% chase rate that was above average and a 62.9% ground ball rate that ranked in the upper percentile of the majors.
Cranz, meanwhile, heads to San Francisco after being selected by Washington in the seventh round of the 2024 draft out of Oklahoma State University. He looked like a fast-moving arm in 2025, when he put up a 2.02 ERA in 30 outings between Single-A and High-A, striking out 45 and walking 17 across 35 1/3 innings.
But the 23-year-old hit turbulence in the upper minors this past season. At Triple-A Rochester, he finished with a 13.11 ERA in 13 appearances, with nine strikeouts and 13 walks over 11 2/3 innings. Even so, there’s still some appeal in the profile, especially after his strong run at Double-A, where he logged a 3.42 ERA with 40 strikeouts and seven walks over 23 outings and 26 1/3 innings.
For Washington, this looks like a move aimed at helping the bullpen now, not just stockpiling another arm for later. Sanmartin has the experience and the underlying numbers to step into a role quickly, while Cranz gives the Giants a younger pitcher with some upside to work with.
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