The Nationals have already run through the Matt Krook loop twice, and now the left-hander is back on the open market again.
Washington announced that Krook cleared outright waivers after being designated for assignment earlier this week and was sent to Triple-A Rochester. From there, he chose to elect free agency.
Krook, 31, has been in this exact spot before. The Nationals claimed him off waivers from the Athletics at the start of the month, then designated him for assignment about a week later.
He cleared waivers and elected free agency, only for Washington to re-sign him a few days after that. Now the cycle has repeated itself.
It wouldn’t be a shock if the Nationals circle back again. Krook can now speak with all 29 other clubs, and Washington may be looking to reshape its pitching mix before the August 3 trade deadline. The club is only two games out of a playoff spot, but it entered the year in rebuilding mode and still appears to have one eye on the future.
That could make Foster Griffin a name to watch. He’s an impending free agent and has turned in a strong season, which could make him the kind of arm Washington tries to turn into controllable talent.
Zack Littell, Miles Mikolas and Trevor Williams are also headed for free agency, though the source material notes they won’t draw the same level of interest as Griffin. If the Nationals do move a few pitchers, they could create a need for more arms in the days ahead - something that’s true for plenty of teams around the league.
Krook’s major league track record is still very small. This is his fourth big league season, and he has appeared for four different teams, but he’s logged only 16 2/3 innings. In that span, he has given up 25 earned runs, which leaves him with a 13.50 ERA.
The reason he keeps getting chances is what he’s done in Triple-A. Since the start of 2023, his first season working full-time out of the bullpen, Krook has thrown 154 2/3 innings at that level with a 3.08 ERA.
The downside is obvious: a 15.7% walk rate that’s described as horrendous. The upside is just as loud: a 31.7% strikeout rate that stands out.
For now, he’ll wait to see what kind of opportunities surface as rosters across the league begin to churn.
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