The Nationals decided to ship off two relievers they picked up as midseason free agents for a couple lottery tickets
The Washington Nationals have made another move. This time Mike DeBartolo shipped off veteran relievers Luis Garcia and Andrew Chafin to the Angels for minor leaguers Jake Eder and Sam Brown.
Full trade#Angels receive: Luis Garcia and Andrew Chafin#Nationals receive: Jake Eder and Sam Brown
— Jared Tims (@Jared_Tims) July 30, 2025
The Nationals picked up both veteran arms as free agents midseason this year. With that in mind, getting warm bodies back for these guys is decent work. However, the players we got in return are not much more than warm bodies.
Jake Eder had some prospect hype with the Marlins a few years ago, but the left handed pitcher has been derailed by injuries. He has struggled in AAA this season for the Angels as a starter. However, he has held his own in 8 bullpen appearances in the big leagues this year.
At 26 years old, Eder could be a mop up man for the Nats, but the potential he showed back in 2021 is gone now. There is a chance we will see Eder out of the Nats pen down the stretch.
The other piece of the deal is 1st baseman Sam Brown. His best attribute is his ability to get on base. He has a .350 OBP and a 12.7% walk rate this season in Double-A. The 23 year old was a 12th round pick in the 2023.
He provides decent minor league depth for the Nats, but does not have the power to stick as a big league first baseman in all likelihood. This is just a small, depth move, but it shows that Mike DeBartolo is on the phones and very active.