Nationals ship relievers Garcia, Chafin to Angels ahead of trade deadline

The trade deadline frenzy has begun for the Washington Nationals. 

The team agreed to trade two relievers, right-hander Luis Garcia and lefty Andrew Chafin, to the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday. The Nationals acquired two minor leaguers in the exchange: left-handed pitcher Jake Eder and Double-A first baseman Sam Brown. 

The Nationals signed Garcia — not to be confused with the second baseman with the same name — this month after the Los Angeles Dodgers designated him for assignment. In 10 innings in Washington, the 36-year-old posted a 0.90 ERA while allowing just five hits and recording seven strikeouts. 

The Dominican journeyman’s fastball reached speeds of 100 mph during his short stint in the District. This will be Garcia’s third stint with the Angels, as he leaves his second stint with the Nationals’ organization.

The 35-year-old Chafin was one of Washington’s most reliable bullpen arms this season. He amassed a 1-1 record with a 2.70 ERA in 26 appearances after joining the team as a free agent last offseason.  The Angels will be Chafin’s eighth major league team.

Neither Eder nor Brown is ranked in MLB Pipeline’s list of top Angels prospects.

Eder, 26, was a fourth-round pick by the Miami Marlins in 2020. He has bounced among organizations, making his MLB debut with the Chicago White Sox last year before joining the Angels this season. 

In nine big league appearances, the reliever has notched a 4.87 ERA with 16 strikeouts in 20 1/3 innings. Eder was optioned to Triple-A Rochester.

Brown, 23, posted a .244 batting average with five homers and 40 RBIs with Double-A Rocket City this year. The Washington State product was a 12th-round selection by the Angels in 2023.

The 44-63 Nationals are expected to ship out more big leaguers in exchange for prospects ahead of Thursday evening’s trade deadline.