The Washington Nationals have reportedly expressed interest in Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Wade Davis.
Expected to win the National League East in 2016, the Washington Nationals have so far lived up to those lofty expectations. However, with closer Jonathan Papelbon struggling for most of the season, the Nationals are looking to upgrade their bullpen at the 2016 MLB trade deadline. One of the names that they are inquiring about is Kansas City Royals reliever Wade Davis, according to Ken Rosenthal.
Davis would be an excellent addition to the Nationals. However, there are some concerns about Davis. On paper, his numbers look fine. He has a 1.60 ERA in 35 appearances with 21 saves. The Nationals, however, have to be at least a little bit concerned about his underlying numbers.
His strikeout rate has dropped from 13.6 per nine innings in 2014 to 8.6 this season. Davis’ FIP has also risen. While a 2.75 FIP is still very good, it’s his highest since becoming a reliever. His WHIP is also over 1.00 for the first time since the 2013 season. All this potentially adds up to some regression. The question is, when is this regression coming? This season or next season?
Despite Davis’ concerning numbers, he’s still an excellent target for the Nationals. His process might not be as pretty as it has been in the past, but the results in 2016 are very similar to his results in the past two seasons. Davis will cost the Nationals at least one of their top prospects. Considering what Chapman cost the Cubs, it might even cost the Nationals two of their top prospects, although he does have a $10 million team option for next season.
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