Washington Nationals reliever Drew Storen went from one of the most reliable relievers in the league to a bullpen liability as the Nats failed to meet preseason expectations in a lackluster 2015. Now, the right-hander finds himself the subject of trade rumors.
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Nationals Interested in Trading Storen
Tuesday, Nov. 10
It looks like Storen won’t be a member of the Nationals bullpen for much longer. According to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, the team is “considering deals” for the former closer who had previously asked to be traded.
In 2014, Storen was unhittable at times, recording a 1.12 ERA in 56.1 innings. Things changed in 2015, when Storen allowed 23 runs in 55.0 innings, including a pair of appearances in which he allowed the division-rival New York Mets to come back or take the lead in the late innings during the final months of the season.
When the team acquired closer Jonathan Papelbon, Storen didn’t seem too thrilled about the move, as he told Chris Johnson of MASN:
Really, all I’m gonna say is that obviously I’m aware of the move. I’ve talked to (Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo) about it. I’ve talked to my agent. We’ve had some ongoing discussions. Until those have progressed, I’m just gonna leave it at that and no comment for now. But as the situation goes, I’ll keep you guys posted.
It’s apparent his relationship with the organization has been strained over the past few months, and it might be beyond repair, especially if the team decides to hold on to Papelbon, whom it’s also receiving calls for, according to Heyman.
Teams who are looking for back-end help in their bullpen should take a good look at Storen. Immersing him in a new setting and new culture could do wonders for a reliever who is still capable of dominating.
Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.
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