Phillies Scouted a Nationals Starter and Their Interest Says a Lot About the Deadline

The Philadelphia Phillies are 56-49 and clearly in buy mode ahead of the trade deadline. They need pitching. And they just sent a scout to watch a guy nobody expected to matter this season.

Foster Griffin of the Washington Nationals threw 6.2 innings Saturday against the Diamondbacks. He allowed three runs on six hits and a walk, struck out two, and picked up his MLB-leading 12th win. The Phillies had a guy in the stands. So did the Rays, according to Spencer Nusbaum of The Athletic.

Griffin is not a household name. He spent three years in Japan after washing out of the Royals organization. He came back to the States, signed with Washington, and suddenly he’s an All-Star with a 2.76 ERA and a 113/28 strikeout-to-walk ratio. The guy leads the league in wins. That’s not nothing.

But here’s the thing. Griffin is a free agent after this year. The Nationals are not competing. They’re in sell mode. So Griffin is exactly the kind of rental contender teams like the Phillies look for in July — affordable, statistically solid, and available.

The numbers are better than the name

Griffin’s actual stuff is debatable. His xERA sits at 3.92, which suggests some regression is coming. His strikeout rate is solid but not elite. He’s not overpowering anyone. But he throws strikes, doesn’t beat himself, and he’s left-handed. That combination is rare enough to make teams curious.

Nusbaum cautioned that sending a scout doesn’t mean a deal is close. It could just be due diligence. But he also pointed out that basically every contender needs starting pitching, and Griffin’s market might be wider than people think.

Washington will listen to offers. They’d be stupid not to. For the Phillies, the question is whether Griffin gives them a real upgrade over what they already have or just another arm in the mix for a playoff run. That’s not a trivial distinction in a tight NL East race.

What happens next

The Phillies need to decide if Griffin is worth the prospect capital. The Nationals are not going to give him away for nothing. But a rental starter in a seller’s market usually gets a reasonable return, not a haul. If Philly thinks he can help them chase down Atlanta or hold off the Marlins, they’ll make a push.

Griffin himself has to be thinking about this. He’s having the best year of his career at 28 years old. A trade to a contender would be a chance to pitch in October for the first time. That’s not a bad ending to a comeback story that started in Japan.