Friday evening the Washington Nationals made their second significant trade deadline acquisition, receiving IF/OF Howie Kendrick and cash considerations from Philadelphia in exchange for LHP McKenzie Mills and international bonus money.  Due to injuries to OFs Jayson Werth, Michael A. Taylor, Ryan Raburn and Chris Heisey, Washington found themselves with only three healthy outfielders on the roster earlier this week, forcing the team to look for reinforcements.

The 34-year-old Kendrick has battled injuries much of this season, but has been productive when healthy, batting .340/.397/.454 with 2 homers and 8 stolen bases.  For his 12-year major league career, Kendrick has a .290/.334/.418 batting line with 97 home runs and 119 stolen bases.  Kendrick has impressive barrel skills and a compact swing, giving him an easy plus hit tool.  Additionally, Kendrick has added defensive versatility the past two seasons, seeing time at first base, third base and left field, along with his natural second base.  He is not a great defender, but his speed and reasonable arm allow him to be passable at each spot.  He should see plenty of at-bats in left field for the Nationals until either Werth or Taylor returns, when he should slide into a super-utility role.

In exchange for Kendrick, Washington parts with 21-year-old left-handed pitcher McKenzie Mills, their 18^th round selection in 2015.  Mills is having a tremendous season for Low-A Hagerstown, posting a 3.01 ERA with 118 strikeouts over 104.2 innings pitched: this success earned him a promotion to High-A earlier this week.  Mills possesses a 4-pitch repertoire, with a low-90s fastball, a mid-70s slider and changeup, along with a low-70s curveball.  He has a solid fastball and the changeup is promising, but his difficulties spinning a breaking ball limits his ceiling.  If he can improve his breaking pitches, he has a chance to work as a backend starter, with his likely role being a Triple-A starter.  Mills is a nice starter kit for a major league pitcher, but he needs more work than his impressive statistics might imply.

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According to various media reports, Philadelphia is sending enough money to Washington to cover nearly all of Kendrick’s salary, allowing the Nationals not to add to their payroll or get closer to the luxury tax.  On the flip side, Washington is sending Philadelphia international bonus pool money, which the Phillies have been known to covet and was somewhat superfluous to the Nationals due to ramifications from last year’s budget-busting international crop.  Essentially both teams receive something significantly more valuable to them than what they are parting with, sweetening the deal for both sides.

Both Washington and Philadelphia did well in this trade.  Philadelphia receives a  prospect and additional international money in exchange for a rental player and his salary, making this a worthwhile swap for the Phillies.  And Washington parts with an A-ball pitcher with a mild ceiling and spare international funds to fill a current hole in left field, while bolstering their bench ahead of the playoffs.  Kendrick is a versatile defender with speed, along with a proven contact hitter, traits that make him particularly valuable as a bench player and pinch hitter.  Not to mention Kendrick has 103 postseason at-bats, giving him plenty of playoff experience.

Washington’s past playoff struggles have often been a direct result of subpar bullpen pitchers and bench options, so this trade specifically targets one of these weaknesses.  Certainly losing Mills hurts the organizational pitching depth, but this trade immediately improves the Nationals’ roster and leaves them in position to make yet another trade ahead of the trade deadline.

NatsGM Grade     ->   Strong B

After watching his bullpen implode yet another time Saturday evening, Sunday General Manager Mike Rizzo pulled the trigger on a deal with Oakland, acquiring LHP Sean Doolittle and RHP Ryan Madson for RHP Blake Treinen, LHP Jesus Luzardo and 3B Sheldon Neuse.  In related news, the Nationals placed RHP Joe Ross on the 60-day disabled list to create room on the 40-man roster for the new relievers.

Drafted by Oakland 41^st overall in 2007 from the University of Virginia, the almost 31-year-old Sean Doolittle has been a key component of the Athletics’ bullpen for the past six years, posting a career 3.09 ERA and a 10.7 K/9 rate against a 1.7 BB/9 over 253 career innings.  This year Doolittle is having another solid campaign with a 3.38 ERA and 31 strikeouts against only 12 hits and 2 walks allowed in 21.1 innings pitched.  In addition, he has accumulated 3 saves this season and 36 for his career, giving him experience as a closer.

Doolittle features a mid-90s fastball and a devastating slider, along with the occasional splitter and changeup.  The biggest knock on Doolittle has been his rather extensive injury history, especially to his shoulder, which limited him to only 52.2 innings pitched in 2015 and 2016.  Furthermore, his HR/9 rate has jumped the past two seasons (1.4 HR/9 in 2016, 1.3 HR/9 this year), which is a cause for some concern.  Nonetheless, Doolittle is a devastating lefty reliever signed to a team friendly contract, earning approximately $1 million more this season, plus $4.35 million in 2018 and club options for $6 million in 2019 and $6.5 million for 2020.

Additionally, Washington receives almost 37-year-old right-handed reliever Ryan Madson, who most Nationals’ fans will remember from his days in Philadelphia.  Madson is in the midst of yet another solid season in 2017, providing Oakland with a 2.06 ERA in 39.1 innings, allowing only 25 hits and 6 walks against 39 strikeouts.  For his 12-year career, Madson has a 3.40 ERA, 1.242 WHIP, and a 7.8 K/9 ratio against only 2.6 BB/9.  In addition he has a solid 0.8 HR/9 career rate and has notched 86 total saves.  Madson utilizes a mid-90s sinker and 4-seam fastball, along with a changeup and curveball, to rarely walk hitters or allow home runs, while missing bats as well.  Signed through 2018, Madson is earning $7.667 million this season and next season.

In exchange for these two pieces, Washington was forced to part with prospects Luzardo and Neuse, along with bullpen stalwart Blake Treinen, a pitcher who began the season as the team’s closer before subpar performance caused a demotion.  After three seasons of quality numbers, Treinen has been rotten this season, posting a 5.73 ERA over 37.2 innings, allowing 48 hits and 13 walks against 32 strikeouts.  The 29-year-old Treinen is blessed with one of the best sinkers in baseball, averaging 97mph, along with a slider and the occasional changeup.  Unfortunately, his sinker has such impressive movement, it often floats outside the strike zone, giving him below-average command.  Treinen is arbitration eligible for the first time this winter and Oakland will attempt to rebuild his value in their pitcher-friendly home ballpark.

Considered a potential 1^st round pick entering the spring, an unfortunate Tommy John surgery knocked Jesus Luzardo down to the 3rd Round in 2016, where Washington happily selected him.  Prior to surgery, Luzardo possessed a mature 4-pitch arsenal, highlighted by a low-90s fastball and a quality changeup.  He has recently returned to action in the Gulf Coast League, with scouts buzzing about his fastball now reaching 96-98mph, along with an improved slider.  Almost 20-years-old, Luzardo is raw and Oakland will need to be cautious developing him, but he is an intriguing lottery ticket for the Athletics.  He has both injury and development risk in his profile, but Luzardo has a potential ceiling as a #3 starter if everything comes together.

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Drafted by Washington in the 2^nd round, 58^th overall in 2016, Sheldon Neuse has flourished in 2017 for Hagerstown, hitting .291/.349/.469 with 9 home runs.  Neuse is blessed with a plus or better arm, fringe-average speed and decent hands – this allows him to profile as an above-average future defender at the hot corner.  Offensively Neuse has attempted to shorten his swing this year to solid results, giving him the potential to be an average hitter with slightly above-average power.  There is risk involved in his profile, specifically questions on his hit tool and distance from the majors, but Neuse has the ceiling of an average to above-average 2-way third baseman.

If you wish to read more on Neuse, here is a link to my scouting report -> http://natsgm.com/2017/06/19/scouting-sheldon-neuse/

****

I believe this to be a “win-win” trade for both Oakland and Washington.  The rebuilding Athletics did well to clear $12+ million in future payroll while acquiring an intriguing change of scenery reliever (Treinen), a potentially league-average third baseman (Neuse) and a lottery ticket with significant prospect helium (Luzardo).  The combination of age and injury risk with both Doolittle and Madson kept them from receiving one of Washington’s prized prospects but this still must be considered a successful return for Oakland.

On the other hand, Washington must be pleased as well, as they receive two lethal relievers both under contract through next season.  And the Nationals were not forced to part with a top prospect or significant prospect depth, leaving them in prime position to make another trade.  Without question neither pitcher is the dominant closer every team covets, and ideally Doolittle and Madson would form a lethal duo in the 7^th and 8^th innings ahead of a monster closer.  However, they should form a potent combination in the 8^th and 9^th innings based on matchups, while putting other relievers like Joe Blanton, Oliver Perez and Enny Romero in more appropriate, lower-leverage situations.

Overall Washington is taking on plenty of future payroll and injury risk with both pitchers, issues that cannot be ignored.  Nonetheless, the Nationals’ front office should be commended for significantly improving the team’s biggest weakness without mortgaging their future.  I fully expect Treinen to rebound in Oakland and I am a big fan of both Neuse and Luzardo, but this was an offer Washington could not refuse.

NatsGM Grade ->    B / B+