WASHINGTON– After adding a high-priced starting pitcher in free agency, the Nationals were forced to move another of the team’s starters.
On Wednesday, the team dealt P Tanner Roark to the Cincinnati Reds for reliever Tanner Rainey.
Roark, 32, has pitched over 180 innings for the Nationals in each of the last three seasons. In 2018, Roark went 9-15 with a 4.34 ERA over 30 starts spanning 180.1 innings.
For his career, Roark is 64-54 with a 3.59 ERA, and the Reds are hoping to get something closer to that version of Roark.
He was set to make at least $9 million through arbitration, prompting Washington to move him to the pitching-needy Reds.
In return, the Nationals receive Rainey, 25, who made his Major League debut in 2018.
He appeared in 8 games and pitched 7 innings of 23.43 ERA ball. Rainey surrendered 19 earned runs in his limited action, but posted much better numbers at AAA in 2018, with a 2.65 ERA over 51 innings.
