Guardians add All-Star lefty Griffin, slugger Lowe before Deadline

CLEVELAND -- The Guardians landed outfielder Jo Adell from the Angels hours before Monday’s 6 p.m. ET Trade Deadline. They were not finished dealing.

The Guardians announced they have acquired All-Star lefty Foster Griffin from the Nationals for a package of four players. Cleveland also acquired first baseman Nathaniel Lowe from the Reds, the club announced, in exchange for 19-year-old right-hander Alejandro Rivera.

TRADE DETAILS
Guardians receive: LHP Foster Griffin
Nationals receive: LHP Will Dion, LHP Josh Hartle (Guardians No. 25 prospect), RHP Kendeglys Virguez, OF Nick Mitchell

TRADE DETAILS
Guardians receive: 1B Nathaniel Lowe
Reds receive: RHP Alejandro Rivera

Leading up to the Deadline, the Guardians openly acknowledged they were looking to improve an offense that has been their Achilles heel this season. Adell and Lowe both address that need, while Griffin bolsters what has been the club’s greatest strength this season.

The Guardians’ rotation has been their backbone. Their Opening Day staff of Tanner Bibee, Slade Cecconi, Joey Cantillo, Parker Messick and Gavin Williams has started all but one of the club’s first 113 games this season, in a streak of remarkable durability and health.

The Guardians entered Monday ranked sixth in the Majors in rotation ERA (3.68). Griffin marks a reinforcement to an already solid group. Over 22 starts this season, the 31-year-old (who is set to become a free agent this offseason) has logged a 3.06 ERA with 116 strikeouts and 30 walks over 129 1/3 innings.

Griffin would slot into a rotation spot occupied by one of the aforementioned five starters. Given Bibee, Williams and Messick have been staff anchors, it could come down to Cantillo (who would have to slide to the bullpen, as he is out of Minor League options) or Cecconi (who has one option, if he is not moved to the bullpen).

Griffin has been one of the Majors’ best stories this season. From 2020-22, he appeared in seven big league games with the Royals and Blue Jays, before spending the next three years with the Yomiuri Giants of the Japan Central League. There, he recorded a 2.57 ERA, which led to him signing a one-year deal with Nationals this past offseason.

Griffin’s arsenal includes a cutter, four-seam fastball, sweeper, changeup, curveball, sinker and splitter.

Lowe marks another reinforcement for an offense that entered Monday ranked 29th in the Majors in runs per game (3.95). Over 83 games with Cincinnati this season, the 31-year-old has slashed .266/.341./.480 with 17 doubles, 12 home runs and 37 RBIs, with 28 walks and 70 strikeouts.

Lowe has been good against right-handed pitching this season, in particular, holding a .286/.363/.522 slash line with 12 home runs over 251 plate appearances.

The Guardians’ first-base mix has included the left-handed-hitting Kyle Manzardo (who has hit 13 homers with a .684 OPS over 102 games this season) and the right-handed-hitting Rhys Hoskins (12 homers, .695 OPS in 86 games).

While the designated hitter spot offers additional flexibility, Cleveland will have some roster decisions to make in the aftermath of adding Lowe.

Dion is the lone player headed to Washington with big league experience. He logged a 4.58 ERA in 12 appearances in the Majors this season. The Guardians acquired Hartle (who had a 3.86 ERA in 19 starts with Double-A Akron this season) in the Dec. 10, 2024, trade that sent first baseman Spencer Horwitz to the Pirates.

Cleveland landed Mitchell, 22, from the Blue Jays alongside Horwitz that same day, in a deal that sent second baseman Andres Giménez to Toronto. Mitchell had a .718 OPS in 75 games with the RubberDucks this season.

Virguez, 22, had a 4.13 ERA in 25 relief appearances with Akron and High-A Lake County. The Guardians signed him in 2022 as an international free agent out of Venezuela.