The Cleveland Guardians are making a major splash just minutes before the MLB trade deadline.
The Guardians are acquiring Washington Nationals All-Star pitcher Foster Griffin in exchange for four players, with Mark Feinsand and Robert Murray first to report the deal.
Breaking: The Nationals are trading All-Star LHP Foster Griffin to the Guardians, per source.
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) August 3, 2026
Griffin, who just turned 31 years old, was selected by the Kansas City Royals in the first round of the 2014 MLB June Amateur Draft.
Here is the return for the Nationals: Pitchers Will Dion, Josh Hartle (Guardians’ No. 25 prospect), Kendeglys Virguez and outfielder Nick Mitchell. Dion made 12 appearances out of the Guardians’ bullpen, with the latest coming on Saturday against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The return for Foster Griffin, per source: pitchers Will Dion, Josh Hartle, Kendeglys Virguez and outfielder Nick Mitchell. https://t.co/CnJYsJqhA1
— Spencer Nusbaum (@spencernusbaum_) August 3, 2026
Griffin made just seven major league appearances in three seasons with the Royals and Toronto Blue Jays. He then went to Japan and played for the Yomiuri Giants from 2023 through 2025 before signing a one-year deal with Washington this past offseason.
Griffin has been excellent, registering a 12-3 record with a 3.06 ERA and 116 strikeouts entering Monday, and he was named to his first-ever All-Star team.
The Guardians also acquired Nathaniel Lowe in a deal with the Cincinnati Reds right before the deadline.
The Cleveland Guardians are acquiring Nathaniel Lowe in a trade with the Cincinnati Reds, sources tell ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) August 3, 2026
The Nationals had been rumored to trade Griffin as well as infielder CJ Abrams at this year’s deadline, and they found a suitor for Griffin with a big return coming to Washington, D.C. The Nationals also traded slugger Luis Garcia Jr. to the New York Yankees.
