The Washington Nationals have inked left-handed pitcher Foster Griffin to a $5.5 million deal. Griffin, who spent the last three years pitching in Japan with the Yomiuri Giants of the Central League, is the first free-agent signing under Paul Toboni, the Nationals’ newly appointed president of baseball operations, hired in late September.
At 30 years old, Griffin was a first-round pick by the Kansas City Royals in the 2014 MLB amateur draft and made his major league debut in 2020. He also played for the Royals and Toronto Blue Jays in 2022, appearing in seven relief appearances with a 1-0 record and a 6.75 ERA.
Toboni is tasked with rebuilding the Nationals following the dismissal of president and GM Mike Rizzo and manager Dave Martinez in July. Since their 2019 World Series win, Washington has struggled through six consecutive losing seasons, including a 66-96 record this year, placing them 14th among 15 National League teams.
Fan Take: Signing Foster Griffin signals a fresh start for the Nationals and highlights the team’s commitment to rebuilding through new talent under Toboni’s leadership. For baseball fans, this move offers hope that the Nationals might soon return to competitiveness, bringing renewed excitement and dynamism to the sport.
