CINCINNATI – Sometimes, a player takes great care and thought before signing with a new team. And sometimes, Andrew Chafin gets a call from the Nationals, and the veteran reliever just says yes right away.

“They called and said: ‘We’ve got a job for you.’ I said: ‘Alright, let’s do this thing,’” the left-hander said. “So then I showed up today. It’s pretty simple.”

That right there should tell you everything you need to know about Chafin, the 34-year-old reliever with 601 games of major league experience, now about to pitch for his seventh different team after the Nats offered him a one-year, $1 million contract Thursday.

As Nathaniel Lowe, briefly his teammate in Texas last season, put it, Chafin is “uniquely himself.” There’s nothing phony about him. What you see is what you get.

And what the Nationals are hoping to get are a whole lot of quality appearances out of the bullpen, providing some stability and experience to a group that sorely needs it.

“We’re going to use him in high-leverage situations,” manager Davey Martinez said. “He’s done it before. He’s used to getting big outs. He’s excited to be here. We’re excited to have him.”

Owner of a 3.42 ERA, 1.275 WHIP and 20 saves across parts of 11 seasons with the Diamondbacks, Cubs, Athletics, Tigers, Brewers and Rangers, Chafin found himself opening this season at Triple-A Toledo after he didn’t make Detroit’s Opening Day roster. It was his first extended stint in the minors in nearly a decade, but he thrived for the Mud Hens, posting a 2.13 ERA while striking out 17 and walking only four across 12 2/3 innings.

Chafin’s contract included a May 1 opt-out, and when that date arrived, he used it and immediately got the major league offer from the Nationals.

“Nobody wants to be in the bushes,” he said. “The opportunity, I had been pitching well. I think we should take this chance. I opted out and see what’s out there. These guys called, and it’s like: ‘OK, let’s go! Sounds good to me!’”

Chafin has prided himself for years on his ability to take the ball whenever needed and usually perform well. His answer to a question about his impressive durability says it all about his personality: “Well, you can’t pull fat.”

“I don’t know if I’ve just been blessed and have a body that’s too stupid to get hurt, or what,” the 235-pound lefty said. “But I just do what my body tells me I need to do that day to be prepared to go do what I gotta do. The body will talk to you, you’ve just got to listen to it.”

With his round face, thick mustache and long, curly hair, Chafin looks straight out of central casting. He’s from a small town south of Cleveland, a mere 3 1/2-hour drive to Cincinnati this morning after he sent his kids off to school.

He fully admits he doesn’t know much about the Nationals, but he happily introduced himself to everyone this afternoon in the clubhouse at Great American Ball Park before putting on his new uniform and heading out to the field for batting practice. He fully expects to be called upon out of the bullpen before night’s end, and then many more times before season’s end.

“I have no idea about anything on this team right now,” Chafin said. “I don’t really pay attention to anything outside of my little bubble, so I have no clue what our record is or anything like that. I’m going to show up and pitch my ass off and hope for the best.”