Detroit Tigers acquire Robbie Ray, Ian Krol and Steve Lombardozzi from Washington Nationals in exchange for Doug Fister
DETROIT -- The Detroit Tigers announced tonight that the club has acquired lefthanded starter Robbie Ray, lefthanded reliever Ian Krol and utility player Steve Lombardozzi from the Washington Nationals in exchange for righthanded starter Doug Fister.
"We are excited to be adding three solid players to the organization," said Tigers President, CEO and General Manager, David Dombrowski. "Robbie is a premium pitching prospect, Ian adds a quality lefthanded young arm for the bullpen and Steve provides our ballclub with versatility in several roles as a switch-hitting utility-man. This affords us the opportunity to move the lefthanded arm of Drew Smyly into the starting rotation where we are confident he will do well. We would like to thank Doug for everything he has done for the Tigers organization. He is an exceptional player and individual and we wish him all the best going forward."
Ray, 22, split the season between Single A Potomac and Double A Harrisburg. He posted a 6-3 record, 3.11 ERA (84.0IP/29ER) and 100 strikeouts in 16 games started with Potomac. He started in 11 games for Harrisburg, posting a 5-2 record, 3.72 ERA (58.0IP/24ER) and 60 strikeouts. Originally drafted in the 12th round of the 2010 MLB First-Year Player Draft by the Nationals, he was rated as the #5 prospect in the Washington organization for 2014 by Baseball America.
Lefthanded reliever Krol, 22, made his Major League debut on June 5 with the Nationals after being acquired from Oakland before the start of the 2013 season. He appeared in 32 games for Washington during the 2013 season, posting a 2-1 record, 3.95 ERA (27.1IP/12ER) and 22 strikeouts. He appeared in 26 games between Double A Harrisburg and Triple A Syracuse, posting a 1-1 record, 1.21 ERA (29.2IP/4ER) and 36 strikeouts.
Lombardozzi, the 25-year-old switch-hitter, batted .259 (75x290) with 15 doubles, one triple, two home runs and 22 RBI in 118 games played in 2013. He saw action at second base (48 games), third base (four games) and left field (23 games) this season for the Nationals, compiling a .989 fielding percentage. He has hit .264 (186x705) with 32 doubles, four triples, five home runs and 50 RBI in 257 games over three seasons with the Nationals at the Major League level.
Fister, 29, posted a 14-9 record, 3.67 ERA (208.2IP/85ER) and 159 strikeouts in 33 appearances (32 games started) for the Tigers in 2013. After being acquired from the Seattle Mariners on July 30, 2011, Fister posted a 32-20 record, 3.29 ERA (440.2IP/161ER) and 353 strikeouts in 70 appearances (68 games started) with the Tigers.