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The first free agent signed by the Nationals’ new front office is a former first-round pick who went to Japan to resurrect his pitching career.
The Nats are in agreement with left-hander Foster Griffin on a one-year contract that guarantees $5.5 million plus incentives, a source familiar with the terms confirmed. The deal, which was first reported by FanSided.com, is contingent on the 30-year-old passing a physical.
It’s a bit of an unconventional first foray into free agency for new president of baseball operations Paul Toboni, though one that has become increasingly popular among other organizations willing to take a modest financial risk on former big leaguers who parlay success in Asia into major league offers.
Originally the 28th-overall pick of the 2014 Draft by the Royals, Griffin made his major league debut in 2020 and has made seven total big league appearances with Kansas City and Toronto, allowing six earned runs in eight innings. Released by the Blue Jays in November 2022, the 6-foot-3 southpaw then signed with the Yomiuri Giants and turned his career around.
In three seasons pitching in Japan, Griffin went 18-10 with a 2.57 ERA and 1.033 WHIP, working as a starter. The lefty peaked this summer, going 6-1 with a 1.62 ERA, 0.949 WHIP and 77 strikeouts in 78 innings, earning an NPB All-Star selection before being sidelined by a leg injury.
Though his fastball hovers in the low-90s, Griffin has a deep pitch mix and solid command, with peripheral stats that ranked among NPB’s best hurlers. He allowed only one homer this season and only 18 over 315 2/3 total innings the last three seasons.
Griffin joins a growing list of American-born pitchers who went to Asia in recent years but have signed guaranteed contracts with major league clubs this winter, including the Blue Jays’ Cody Ponce, the White Sox’s Anthony Kay, the Tigers’ Drew Anderson and the Astros’ Ryan Weiss. Former Nationals starter Erick Fedde followed a similar path after a dominant 2023 season in Korea, earning a two-year, $15 million deal with the White Sox.
With a guaranteed salary of $5.5 million, Griffin immediately becomes the second-highest-paid pitcher on the Nationals’ staff, behind Trevor Williams, who is due to make $7 million as he attempts to return from an internal brace procedure on his partially torn elbow ligament. That seemingly puts him in line for a spot in an Opening Day rotation that currently features MacKenzie Gore, Cade Cavalli and Jake Irvin, with Josiah Gray, Brad Lord, Mitchell Parker and Andrew Alvarez also in the mix. (Lord and Parker could wind up in the bullpen instead.)
