Ahead of the July 31^st non-waiver MLB Trade Deadline, the Washington Nationals dealt RHP Brandon Kintzler to the Chicago Cubs for prospect RHP Jhon Romero.  With a current 52-53 record, Washington faced a difficult decision of whether to “buy” or “sell”, yet surprisingly, this was the only move the Nationals made during a frenetic trade deadline.

The almost 34-year-old Kintzler (Happy Birthday Wednesday!) struggled to begin the season but has rebounded to post a 3.59 ERA over 42.2 innings pitched, with 40 hits and 13 walks allowed against 31 strikeouts.  Acquired at last summer’s trade deadline, Kintzler was solid in his two seasons in Washington, providing the Nationals with a 3.54 ERA in 68.2 innings pitched.  Kintzler re-signed with Washington last winter to a 1-year $5 million contract, with a mutual option for 2019 – the team option is worth $10 million or Kintzler can pick up a $5 million player option.  This deal frees Washington from this potential financial obligation next season, while also adding to the organization’s pitching depth.

In return for Kintzler, Washington receives Jhon Romero, a 23-year-old right-handed relief prospect who has acted as the closer for High-A Myrtle Beach in 2018.  This season Romero has a 3.29 ERA in 44 innings pitched, with 40 hits and 17 walks allowed against 57 strikeouts.  Of note, he has allowed only 1 home run in his entire 96 inning career.  A pure relief prospect, Romero is blessed with a 92-95mph fastball, touching higher on occasion, an intriguing curveball and a poor changeup.  He has 7^th inning upside due to his solid command of a powerful fastball and curveball, with the likely outcome being an up-and-down reliever.
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This trade feels generally puzzling, as Kintzler had been pitching well recently, does not earn a large salary and the Cubs should be considered competition for Washington to earn a playoff berth.  In addition, the team does not face a roster crunch in the bullpen, nor does this return feel so substantial the team could not refuse the offer.  Therefore I am left to speculate why Washington seemed so eager to part with him.

Overall Washington weakened their bullpen and downgraded their roster, while acquiring a prospect that should slot in around #21-#25 in their organizational prospect rankings.  On the surface, the return feels reasonable, if not slightly light, but when coupled with their current position in the standings, this deal feels perplexing and rather underwhelming.

NatsGM Grade ->             D