Nationals Receive Strong Grade for Trading Andrew Chafin, Luis Garcia to Angels

The Washington Nationals were one of the few teams that were going to be surefire sellers ahead of the MLB trade deadline this year.

Thus far, they are making the most of what has been an underwhelming season, turning their trade chips into solid assets.

In their most recent deal, they traded left-handed relief pitcher Andrew Chafin and right-handed reliever Luis Garcia to the Los Angeles Angels, who are the surprise buyers of the deadline thus far.

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In exchange for the veteran pitchers, the Nationals received left-handed pitcher Jake Eder and first baseman Sam Brown.

It is a deal that has been well received for Washington, as it received a grade of “A-” from Brittany Ghiroli of The Athletic (subscription required).

“To turn those into two players to take a flier on, including a pitcher who has a handful of big-league appearances, is a solid low-risk return,” she wrote.

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Getting anything in return for players they signed off the scrap heap -- Chafin was signed to a minor league deal and Garcia was a waiver claim -- is excellent work by interim general manager Michael DeBartolo.

In 20 innings with Washington, the veteran lefty had a 2.70 ERA with 18 strikeouts, missing a portion of the season because of a hamstring strain.

The veteran righty had even fewer apperances with the Nationals, with Garcia making only 10 innings with a 0.90 ERA and seven strikeouts.

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He is someone the Angels know well, as this is the 38-year-old’s third stint with the franchise.

Eder, a fourth-round pick in the 2020 MLB draft, spent the 2024 campaign with the Chicago White Sox and made one appearance. This year, he made eight appearances with Los Angeles, throwing 18.1 innings with 15 strikeouts.

Brown, who was a 12th round pick in the 2023 MLB draft, has a .242/.347/.355 slash line with Double-A Rocket City through 363 plate appearances in 2025.

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Those numbers are a solid improvement from the .214/.298/.302 line he produced at Double-A in 2024, as he started his professional career at that level.

More prospects are likely going to be added to the organization in the coming hours, with closer Kyle Finnegan, first baseman Nathaniel Lowe, starting pitcher Michael Soroka, designated hitter Josh Bell and infielder Paul DeJong all possibly being on the move as well.

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