The Nationals are trading All-Star lefty Foster Griffin to the Cleveland Guardians, a source confirmed to The Banner.

Washington will receive pitchers Will Dion, Josh Hartle, Kendeglys Virguez and outfielder Nick Mitchell.

Griffin, who the team signed to a one-year, $5.5 million contract, was one of the best stories in baseball. After flaming out as a first-round pick with the Royals, Griffin went to Japan to prove he could thrive as a starter, found success and blossomed into the team’s best pitcher.

After three seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball — which many consider the second-best league in the world — Griffin decided to return to the United States to ply his craft in the majors again. The Nationals, devoid of pitching talent, signed him and watched as he blew past their expectations this season.

Advertise with us

He’s 12-3 with a 3.06 ERA in 22 starts. He doesn’t overwhelm hitters with a high-velocity fastball, but instead flummoxes them with seven pitches and a tremendous cutter. He was also consistent, which was imperative for a Nationals pitching staff light on experience.

Aside from his stellar pitching numbers, Griffin has been a clubhouse leader. His topsy-turvy journey served as inspiration and earned credibility with his Nationals teammates.

But the Nationals know they’re not near their competitive window and need more const-controllable arms. Dion is the lone major-leaguer of the group. He debuted in 2026 and posted a 4.58 ERA across 12 games in the majors, though his 29.4 strikeout rate is strong and he rarely walks batters, an area that the Nationals’ current bullpen struggled with this season.

Hartle is the only player in the trade among the Guardians’ top-30 prospects, according to MLB Pipeline. He’s a strike-throwing lefty who doesn’t possess overpowering stuff. He’s posted a 3.86 ERA across 19 starts at Double-A Akron.

President of Baseball Operations Paul Toboni went with the quantity over quality approach, adding a total of nine pitchers over the past week. The organization was bereft of pitching, and Toboni restocked it with these trades.