Resurgent Nationals starter turning into prime Guardians trade target

On Dec. 23, 2025, the Washington Nationals signed Foster Griffin to a one-year, $5.5 million contract in the hopes that he’d be able to eat some innings and provide some pitching reinforcements for their young roster. 

On Saturday, Griffin’s strong season was thrown into the center of the MLB zeitgeist when he was named to the National League All-Star team as a replacement. 

Not bad for a pitcher who spent the past three seasons pitching in Japan after flaming out in his first taste of MLB action. 

While Griffin is an important piece in the Nationals’ rotation, his name has generated some trade buzz, though it stands to reason that Washington would have a pretty high asking price for him due to his breakout season and cheap contract. 

But even if that’s the case, the Guardians should still kick the tires on him given how easily he’d fit into the team’s plans for the rest of 2026. 

Guardians could forfity their rotation by trading for Foster Griffin

Griffin entered the All-Star Break with a 2.77 ERA in 110 1/3 innings this season with 109 strikeouts and just 29 walks. He’s in the 87th percentile in walk rate (5.8%) along with being in the 97th percentile in fastball run value. 

His fastball may sit at just 91.5% miles per hour, but it’s part of a seven (!!) pitch mix that features a lot of cutters and sweepers. He also has a changeup that he throws exclusively to right handers along with a curveball, sinker and splitter. 

He’s gotten better as the season has gone on, and entered the All-Star Break with a 1.25 ERA across his past seven starts. 

Even if this season could end up being the high-water mark of Griffin’s career, he’s shown that he can be a solid No. 3 starter who can eat innings. 

But the Guardians need not be concerned about the rest of his career; his one-year contract means their only concern would be 2026. 

Although the Guardians are the only team in baseball to use the same five starters all season, they don’t have a ton of MLB-ready depth. They’re one injury away from disaster. 

The toughest part about a hypothetical trade for Griffin is that it would come at the expense of a member of Clevleand’s current rotation. 

At the beginning of the year it looked like Slade Cecconi or Joey Cantillo would be on the chopping block, but Cantillo’s posted a 1.59 ERA across his last six starts to go along with Cecconi’s 3.73 ERA across the same period. 

Cecconi would still be the pitcher who’d lose their spot in the rotation in the case of any addition, but it’s less of a no-brainer than it was earlier this year. 

Griffin may not be the biggest name available, but he’s an obvious fit for the Guardians.

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