The Washington Nationals have acquired left-handed reliever Reiver Sanmartin in a trade with the Giants in exchange for minor league right-handed relief pitcher Robert Cranz. The deal marks the third player the team has acquired from the Giants over the past couple of weeks, following an earlier roster extension for Jacob Young.
Pitching Archetype and Metrics
Sanmartin joins a specific group of relievers favored by the front office, characterized as soft-tossing lefties who throw from a lower arm slot, joining previous roster members such as Richard Lovelady, Tom Cosgrove, and PJ Poulin. Sanmartin operates from a 22-degree arm angle with a fastball that averages 91.8 mph, requiring him to rely on movement, deception, and command to record outs.
In return, the Nationals parted with 23-year-old Robert Cranz, a seventh-round selection in the 2024 draft who features an atypical pitching arsenal. Cranz previously averaged 95 mph with high carry on his fastball from a lower slot, posting a 2.25 ERA in High-A and a 3.42 ERA in Double-A alongside high strikeout totals. However, his performance struggled at Triple-A Rochester, where he recorded a 13.11 ERA across 13 appearances before returning to Double-A.
Player Profile and Outlook
Sanmartin is a 30-year-old pitcher who is out of minor league options, meaning the team must carry him on the major league roster or risk losing him on waivers. Last season, he pitched 21.1 innings and recorded a 4.22 ERA.
Despite limitations in velocity and a relatively high 10% barrel rate, Sanmartin excels at inducing ground balls, posting a 62.9% ground ball rate during his 21.1 innings last year. He also demonstrated strong control by averaging 2.95 walks per nine innings, utilizing a heavy sinker complemented by a slider against left-handed hitters and a changeup against right-handed hitters.
Sanmartin is expected to join the major league bullpen next year as the team evaluates its left-handed relief options.
