The Washington Nationals acquired outfielder Ben Revere and a player to be named from the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday in exchange for right-handed pitcher Drew Storen and cash considerations. President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement.
Revere, 27, joins the Nationals on the heels of his third consecutive season posting a .300 batting average or higher. The versatile outfielder hit .306 in 2015 with a .342 on-base percentage, 22 doubles, seven triples, two home runs and 31 stolen bases in 152 games, 96 with the Philadelphia Phillies and the final 56 with the Blue Jays.
The speedy Revere is a career .295 hitter who has averaged nearly 30 stolen bases per season during his six years in the Major Leagues. No stranger to the National League East, Revere hit .303 with 35 doubles, 16 triples, 71 RBI and 95 stolen bases during his two-plus seasons with the Phillies (335 games). In 2014, Revere led the National League in hits with 184.
Acquired from the Phillies at the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline, Revere hit .319 with a .354 on-base percentage to help the Blue Jays earn the American League East championship, their first division title since 1993. Revere hit .255 in the 2015 postseason, tallying a double, an RBI, two stolen bases and four walks as the Blue Jays defeated the Texas Rangers in the American League Division Series, before falling to the Kansas City Royals in six games in the American League Championship Series.
Revere has spent significant time at all three outfield spots and hit the majority of his career at the top of the order, batting first or second in 506 of his 645 MLB games.
An Atlanta, Ga., native, Revere was a first-round selection (No. 27 overall) of the Minnesota Twins in the 2007 First-Year Player Draft. He made his Major League debut on Sept. 7, 2010 and hit .278 in 254 games for the Twins, before he was traded to Philadelphia in Dec. 2012, in exchange for right-handed pitchers Trevor May and Vance Worley.
Storen, 28, spent six seasons as a National, going 21-13 with 95 saves and a 3.02 ERA in 355 games, pitching in nearly every role out of the Nationals' bullpen. The right-hander leaves Washington ranking second on the club's all-time (2005-present) saves list, behind Chad Cordero (113). He also ranks second in relief appearances (355) and second among relievers in strikeouts (321).
In 2014, Storen led all qualified National League relievers with a 1.12 ERA, the lowest single-season ERA by a reliever in Nationals history (min. 40 games). From 2014-2015, Storen recorded 40 saves, 25 holds, a 2.26 ERA and 113 strikeouts against 27 walks. The No. 10 overall selection in the 2009 First-Year Player Draft, Storen made his Major League debut less than one year later, May 17, 2010 at St. Louis.