Washington Nationals acquire another low slot lefty in Reiver Sanmartin

The Washington Nationals acquired left-handed reliever Reiver Sanmartin from the San Francisco Giants in exchange for minor league right-handed pitcher Robert Cranz. The trade marks the third player acquired by Washington executive Paul Toboni from the Giants over a two-week span. The 30-year-old Sanmartin posted a 4.22 ERA across 21.1 innings last season and is currently out of minor league options.

Writer Sam Sallick describes the transaction as an uninspiring move, expressing concern over giving up a young arm for a reliever who was designated for assignment. However, Sallick highlights Sanmartin's 62.9% ground-ball rate and solid control as positive attributes, noting that the pitcher fits a low-arm-slot archetype frequently targeted by the Nationals organization.