Foster Griffin's Nationals tenure hangs by a thread

Foster Griffin's path back to relevance is one of the better stories in baseball this year. Drafted by the Royals 28th overall back in 2014, he flamed out in the majors, rebuilt himself pitching for the Yomiuri Giants in Japan from 2023 to 2025, and returned to MLB on a cheap $5.5 million, one-year deal with Washington. All he's done since is post a 2.68 ERA across 20 starts, make the All-Star team, and put together an 8-start stretch of allowing one earned run or fewer that's a Nationals franchise record. Now, with the trade deadline bearing down, that comeback story is about to hit its next chapter — and it might not be in a Washington uniform.

Mark Feinsand

@Feinsand

A Foster Griffin extension with the Nationals is "very unlikely," per source, making a potential trade a real possibility. More on Washington's All-Star starting pitcher, who could be making his last start for the club on Friday (with @JessicaCamerato): t.co/Odz9Bho62r

Mark Feinsand's report Thursday landed like a verdict: a Griffin extension with the Nationals is "very unlikely," according to his source, which puts a trade squarely back on the table ahead of Monday's deadline. That's a real swing from earlier chatter about Washington trying to lock him up long-term — the kind of deal that would've mirrored what the Royals gave Seth Lugo, or the three-year, $30 million extension the Nats already handed Cody Ponce. Instead, Feinsand's reporting points toward Griffin making his last start for the club Friday, which puts a ticking clock on an outing that already carried plenty of weight.

That Friday start came against the Braves at Truist Park, and it did not go the way you'd script a goodbye. Griffin lasted just 5 innings, got hit for 6 runs on 9 hits, and took the loss in a 6-2 defeat — his worst outing since mid-May, with Michael Harris II turning around a cutter for a 3-run homer that blew the game open. Griffin didn't dodge the moment afterward, saying flatly, "Truthfully, I'm human, right? It's not easy, but we're professionals," and adding that in a few days "we'll see where I am." Manager Blake Butera acknowledged as much too, noting Griffin's been dealing with a lot amid the swirling trade speculation.

Mark Feinsand

@Feinsand

Freddy Peralta, Foster Griffin and Casey Mize all start for their respective teams today in their last outings before Monday's Trade Deadline. It seems likely to be the final start for all three with their current clubs.

Feinsand's Friday follow-up widened the lens, grouping Griffin with Freddy Peralta and Casey Mize as three starters all making what's likely their final outing for their current teams before Monday. That's notable company — all three are rental-caliber arms contenders will be calling about all weekend. For Washington, the calculus is straightforward on paper: the Nationals are sitting at just 6.6% playoff odds, Griffin has roughly $1.8 million left on his deal, and his stock has arguably never been higher. Dealing him now for young talent lines up with where this rebuild actually is, even if it means watching an All-Star breakout walk out the door months after he arrived.

The counterargument is the one Washington's front office has clearly been wrestling with for weeks — building around James Wood and CJ Abrams means needing pitching that can actually hold up, and Griffin's turnaround story is exactly the kind of stabilizing presence a young core needs. But Feinsand's reporting suggests that debate has tilted, and hard, toward a trade. With the deadline just days out, Griffin's rough final tune-up in Atlanta might end up being remembered less for the box score and more as the last time he takes a Nationals mound.