The Washington Nationals are right there with the Los Angeles Dodgers as the best teams in the National League (if the Cubs were really clicking, they’d be there, too), though you’d have to give the edge right now to the Dodgers, thanks to a Nationals bullpen that has been leaky all year.
It’s no surprise, then, that a big move is on the way:
Sources: #Nationals acquiring Doolittle and Madson from #Athletics for Treinen and two prospects.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 16, 2017
Prospects headed to #Athletics from #Nationals are LH Jesus Lazardo and 3B Sheldon Neuse. Those two plus Treinen for Doolittle, Madson.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 16, 2017
That’s a couple top ten-ish prospects in a decent system, plus a formerly solid (but currently struggling) reliever in Treinen for a really nice reliever and contract in Doolittle (but health concerns), and a year and a half of a good reliever on a not super-cheap contract in Madson.
This looks to be a pretty fair deal on both sides, with the Nationals’ bullpen improving dramatically. Like the Cubs last year, the Nationals know they’re headed to the playoffs, so the necessity of making this move was even greater.
It was always expected that the Nats were going to improve their pen, so the projected potential playoff roadblock for the Cubs – should they make the playoffs – doesn’t really change much.