The Washington Nationals acquired left-handed pitcher Will Dion, left-handed pitcher Josh Hartle, outfielder Nick Mitchell and right-handed pitcher Kendeglys Virguez from the Cleveland Guardians in exchange for left-handed pitcher Foster Griffin on Monday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations Paul Toboni made the announcement.
Dion, 26, struck out 25 batters against just three walks in 19.2 innings out of Cleveland’s bullpen in 2026, his first Major League season. He’s appeared in 12 games across three stints with the Guardians and made his Major League debut on May 26 against Washington, tossing 3.0 innings of two-run, five-hit relief with three strikeouts and no walks.
A ninth-round pick in the 2021 First-Year Player Draft out of McNeese State University, Dion has struck out 10.08 batters per 9.0 innings while going 27-21 with a 3.39 ERA in 137 professional appearances across six Minor League seasons in Cleveland’s system. He began his career as a starter before transitioning to the bullpen in 2026.
Hartle, 23, is Cleveland’s No. 25 prospect, according to MLBPipeline.com. He joins the Nationals organization after going 4-4 with a 3.86 ERA and 88 strikeouts in 19 starts with Double-A Akron. He led Cleveland’s system in ERA (2.54) and WHIP and ranked third in opponents’ average (.208) in 2025.
Hartle was selected in the third round of the 2024 First-Year Player Draft out of Wake Forest University. In three Minor League seasons, he is 14-7 with a 3.24 ERA and 197 strikeouts in 208.1 innings across 44 games (43 starts).
Mitchell, 22, hit .240 with 14 doubles, two triples, five home runs, 39 RBI, 48 walks, 19 stolen bases and 51 runs scored in 75 games with Double-A Akron in 2026. The left-handed hitting outfielder has appeared in center field (32 G), left field (18 G) and right field (16 G) in his third professional season.
Mitchell was selected by the Toronto Blue Jays in the fourth round of the 2024 First-Year Player Draft. He was acquired by the Guardians on Feb. 10, 2024.
Virguez, 22, has posted 14.29 strikeouts per 9.0 innings in 25 games between High-A Lake County and Double-A Akron in 2026. He went 4-1 with two saves, a 4.13 ERA, 45 strikeouts and allowed just one home run in 28.1 innings between the two stops.
An international free agent, Virguez signed with Cleveland on March 26, 2022. He’s fanned 182 batters and has allowed just 11 home runs in 137.1 innings in 85 games across five professional seasons in Cleveland’s system.