On a night when two top trade candidates were scratched from their starts, left-hander Foster Griffin took the mound for his final outing before the Trade Deadline.
Griffin made his 22nd start of his impressive season with the Nationals on Friday as trade chatter buzzed. Around the league, Mets right-hander Freddy Peralta and Tigers righty Casey Mize were scratched out of precaution ahead of Monday’s 6 p.m. ET Deadline.
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“Obviously today, we saw two starters were scratched across the league,” manager Blake Butera told reporters at Truist Park. “He just came in and was like, ‘Hey, I'm still pitching, right?’ And I'm like, ‘Yeah.’ It was kind of a joke more than anything.”
During this complex time of the season, Nationals first-year president of baseball operations Paul Toboni has emphasized communication with the players. Griffin has appreciated that dialogue, which he described as “informative,” leading up to the Deadline.
“Truthfully, I'm human, right?” Griffin told reporters. “It's not easy. The last week or so has been -- it is what it is. But we're professionals, right? It's part of the job. [We] still have to go out there and play and execute. So that's not an excuse for how things went tonight. But that's just the situation I'm in right now.”
Griffin allowed six runs off nine hits (including two home runs) and two walks with three strikeouts across 5 1/3 innings in the Nationals' 6-2 loss to the Braves. His record stands at 12-3 with a 3.06 ERA. It was Griffin’s first loss since May 14, and the first time he allowed five runs or more since May 19.
“Completely understanding that Foster's been going through a lot,” Butera said. “All the talks that he's been involved in with his name out there on social media, and what's real and what's not real and dealing with a lot mentally. … I was proud of him to be able to go out there and do what he did up until the sixth inning.”
Griffin, a 31-year-old with rookie status, returned from three seasons in Japan to sign a one-year, $5.5 million deal with the Nationals in December. He went 3-0 in his first five outings, and he proved his hot start was not a fluke. Griffin was named to the All-Star team during his first full year in the Majors. He entered Friday undefeated in his last 12 starts, and he's tied for the third-most wins in the Majors.
“All I can say is that I love everybody in this room,” Griffin said. “My teammates, they've accepted me from day one. Even the front office has really taken a chance on me coming back from Japan. So I'm super appreciative for all of that. We don't know what the next few days hold, but I appreciate all the support from my teammates and people outside as well. But I'm just going to see what happens.”
Although Griffin is on an expiring contract, the Nationals are not guaranteed to trade him. He is their best starting pitcher and a key factor in Wild Card contention. Those playoff hopes are the reason why the Nats are not clear-cut buyers or sellers this season.
If the Nationals traded Griffin to a contender looking to win now, they could acquire pieces that could help them win in the future. The Nats also improved their starting rotation last weekend by acquiring southpaw Connelly Early from Boston for infielder Curtis Mead.
Looking beyond this season, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand reported on Thursday, however, that a contract extension for Griffin is “very unlikely.” A 2027 qualifying offer would be worth around $22 million for Griffin. If Griffin were to turn down a qualifying offer from the Nats and sign with another team, the Nationals would receive a Draft pick.
“As of right now, I'm a player for the Nats,” Griffin said. “... In a few days, we'll see where I am. And I'll be grateful for any opportunity -- whether I'm still here and we're gonna try and do this thing, or if I'm with another team. The competitiveness in me and the will to win will never change.”
In addition to Griffin, first baseman Luis Garcia Jr. is also a Nationals trade candidate. Garcia was pinch-hit for in the seventh inning of Friday’s game. The exit raised eyebrows, given that a trade can happen at any moment, but the team announced mild right knee soreness.
“He slipped a little bit coming out of the box in his first at-bat,” Butera said. “[It was] more precautionary than anything. Soreness, should be good to go tomorrow. That's the plan.”