Nationals urged to sell-high on 2.12 ERA lefty with regression likely coming

Nationals urged to sell-high on 2.12 ERA lefty with regression likely coming originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Washington Nationals are not going to be World Series contenders this season, and they will almost assuredly be sellers come the August 3rd trade deadline.

While James Wood and CJ Abrams might not be dealt, there are plenty of others who could be worth parting with this season in a trade.

For Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter, there is one player that stands out as someone the Nationals should "sell high" on, and it's 2.12 ERA left-hander Foster Griffin.

"With a fastball that averages 91.4 mph, he relies more on deception than stuff, and his 4.08 FIP speaks to some likely regression," Rueter writes.

With regression potentially coming for the Nationals' lefty starter this season, trading him now while he's still looking like a good pitcher makes a ton of sense for the Nationals.

Why Nationals should sell high on Foster Griffin

Griffin's 2.12 ERA in eight starts is a very strong mark, and there would surely be a team or two interested in acquiring him for their rotation.

Rueter called out the possible regression, with a pitch mix that is susceptible to being beaten and a 4.08 FIP, as the two harbingers of what could be a second-half step back.

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But, there's more reason to move on from Griffin now than simply his regression, which could come in the future. He's just a one-year rental, so the Nationals would lose him after 2026 anyway.

Instead of seeing Griffin have a solid return season to the Majors after three years in Japan, they could trade him to a contender, get some decent prospect capital back, and continue to build better organizational depth.

Washington should seriously consider trading Griffin, as this sell-high opportunity is exactly what the Nationals should've been hoping for with Griffin. Trade him now, get some long-term help, and reap the rewards of a $5.5 million offer to Griffin.