Phillies linked to trade for Nationals’ surprise ace

At 56-49, the Philadelphia Phillies will be entering the trade deadline as clear buyers, hoping to bolster their playoff push. The franchise may now look inside the NL East for some extra help.

The Phillies recently sent a scout to watch Foster Griffin of the Washington Nationals pitch. While no deal is guaranteed, Philadelphia is at least intrigued by what the left-hander has to offer, via Spencer Nusbaum of the Athletic.

“The Phillies and Rays each had a scout at Nats Park on Saturday to watch Foster Griffin,” Nusbaum wrote. “That does not mean either team will acquire him, or even that they’re high on him, but I think it reaffirms the idea that almost every contender needs starting pitching, and the market for Griffin is probably wider than almost anyone who the Nats could sell.”

“I’d also temper expectations w/r/t a return, if only because teams like to look at the underlying metrics (3.92 xERA) the stuff (depends on your eval) and control (he is a free agent after this year),” he concluded.

In that start, scouts saw Griffin throw 6.2 innings of three-run baseball in a 5-3 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks. The lefty allowed six hits and a walk while striking out two.

On the year, Griffin now has an MLB-leading 12 wins, alongside a 2.76 ERA and a 113/28 K/BB ratio. The Nationals took a chance on him after a three-year stint in Japan. Now stateside again, Griffin became an All-Star in his first year back.

Because of that, teams across the league have become interested in his services. With Griffin set to be a free agent after the season, Washington is certainly willing to listen to offers. If the Phillies feel he would give their lineup another spark, perhaps Griffin finds himself in Philadelphia to end his return season.