Nationals Send Left-Hander to Dodgers in Latest Trade

Eder was designated for assignment by the Nationals as the corresponding move after they acquired utility man Curtis Mead from the Chicago White Sox. Considering Eder gave Washington more depth in their pitching staff and was acquired ahead of last year's trade deadline from the Los Angeles Angels in a package that also included first baseman Sam Brown, this decision was a bit surprising.

However, outside of the solid showing he had this spring, Eder never flashed much during his time with the organization. In his two starts with Triple-A Rochester last year, he allowed seven earned runs on nine hits across five innings pitched. While he did ring up nine batters, he also walked five and had a batting average against of .391.

The Nationals likely would have preferred to keep him in their organization if he had cleared waivers. But there must have been interest in the left-hander from other teams when it came to claiming him, so they sent him to the Dodgers in exchange for some cash and will see how he does out west.

Nationals Still Have Plenty of Depth in Triple-A

While holding onto Eder would have been a positive when it comes to the depth situation in the minors, losing him is not a huge issue. Mitchell Parker and Andrew Alvarez are two left-handed starters with Rochester, and Zach Penrod and Erik Tolman are two left-handed relievers.

Getting back cash by trading Eder to Los Angeles is a savvy move for Washington if they believed they were going to lose him for nothing. How he does with that franchise that is known for pitching development will be interesting to see when it comes to the next steps in his career.