The Nationals announced this afternoon that they have signed the lefty Matt Krook to a big league deal and we started him. He takes the place of PJ Poulin on the active list, Poulin is going on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to July 16th) with left flexor strain. To make room on the 40-man roster, Richard Lovelady transferred to IL for 60 days.
A quick meeting between the Nationals and Krook, the team designated him for active duty on July 12. Krook cleared waivers and was assigned directly to Triple-A Rochester, which he declined in favor of a free offer. After five days of scouting the market, he finally returns to Washington as the new arm to replace Poulin. He’ll go in as an underrated arm no matter how long he’s been around this season.
Krook, 31, has thrown just 14 2/3 major league innings since debuting in 2023, though he’s actually pitched well. A former fourth-round pick of the Giants in 2016, he is now in his seventh game with the Nationals. Krook has more experience in Triple-A, having first reached that level in 2021 while a member of the Yankees. From 2021-26, he threw at least 29 innings in Triple-A every season, and posted an ERA over 4.00 once (4.09 mark in 138 2/3 innings in 2022). He has worked exclusively out of the bullpen since the start of 2023.
The profile is that of a deep Quad-A arm. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Krook stick around for a few games, get assigned, then repeat the free agency selection process and re-sign. In comparison, he made only three appearances at the Nationals between July 4, when they said he was coming off the Athletics, and July 12, when he was designated for assignment.
Poulin heads to IL amid divisive season numbers. On the other hand, he has a 2.70 ERA through 36 2/3 innings, which is an improvement from last year’s 3.65 ERA. He also gets on bases at an above-average clip of 46.2%. On the other hand, Poulin’s strikeout and walk rates are worse than average, and judging by opposing hitters’ .225 average on balls in play, his true talent is closer to his expected 5.37 ERA than his 2.70 figure. The severity of a flexor strain is unclear, but it is nonetheless a cause for concern given that flexor strains can be precursors to Tommy John surgery. The team is likely to provide more information on Poulin’s timeline in the coming days.
Lovelady was acquired by the Nats in a trade with the Mets back in April. He pitched 23 innings with a serviceable 3.91 ERA, though his 6.16 xERA suggests he was lucky to achieve that. Lovelady had been on IL for 15 days since June 29th with a strained left triceps, and with today’s transfer, he will now be on the shelf until the end of August.
Photo courtesy of Brad Mills, Magn Images
