The Washington Nationals drew plenty of frustration when they sent Foster Griffin out the door before the deadline, especially coming one day after the season-punting trade of Luis Garcia Jr. to the New York Yankees. For fans watching the club lean harder into the future while the present stayed rough, Griffin’s departure landed as another tough pill to swallow.
But the move always made sense on some level. Griffin was an impending free agent, he was coming off an All-Star showing, and he had been one of the better starting left-handers in the league. At the same time, the numbers beneath the surface hinted that a correction could be coming before the season was over.
That possibility may be starting to show up now.
Griffin made his debut with the Cleveland Guardians on Thursday, and it was a rough one. Against the New York Mets, he allowed five earned runs on seven hits over four innings.
He also gave up two home runs, just one fewer than the three he surrendered in both June and July. Griffin struck out six and walked two, but the damage was done.
It’s only one start, and it came in a new ballpark against a Mets lineup that had already handled him well once before, when it scored five earned runs against him on May 19. Still, the trend line is worth watching.
Griffin’s ERA now sits at 3.31, much closer to his 4.08 expected ERA than it had been when he spent much of July below 3.00. After 11 earned runs across his last two starts, the gap between the performance and the underlying numbers is shrinking fast.
None of that turns Thursday into a victory lap for Washington. The return package the Nationals got was underwhelming, and the deal will still be judged by whether at least some of those pieces turn into real contributors. But with Griffin likely headed for free agency after the season and probably not a candidate to re-sign, the Nationals may have timed the sell perfectly.
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For Hacopian, the move also adds a little intrigue to what comes next. He is projected as a second baseman, but there is already at least some possibility the Nationals could try him in a corner outfield spot if that better fits the long-term plan. However they map out the fit, the assignment says plenty about how Washington views his bat and his ability to handle an aggressive opening push in the minors. [Read more 🡒]