The Nationals are sending reliever Jose A. Ferrer to the Mariners for catcher Harry Ford, reports Robert Murray of FanSided. Andrew Golden of the Washington Post was first to report that the two sides were nearing a Ferrer trade. Golden also reported pitcher Isaac Lyon is heading to Washington in the deal. Both teams have announced the trade.
Seattle adds a flamethrower from the left side to complement Andres Munoz and Matt Brash in the backend of the bullpen. The price is somewhat steep, as Ford ranks 42nd in MLB.com’s top 100 prospect rankings. He comes in at fourth in Seattle’s system. Lyon was taken in the 10th round of the 2025 draft. He made a handful of appearances at Single-A this past season.
Ferrer emerged as Washington’s closer after Kyle Finnegan was shipped to Detroit at the trade deadline. He picked up 11 saves over the final two months of the season. The 25-year-old’s 21.9% strikeout rate and mid-4.00s ERA don’t scream shutdown closer, but he had an excellent 2.85 SIERA and an elite 4.9% walk rate on the year. Ferrer put together a stretch of 14 straight scoreless appearances shortly after taking over as closer, though he did falter over his final few appearances.
Ferrer has made 142 appearances out of the Nationals’ bullpen since his debut in 2023. He has a career 4.36 ERA, but his xERA and xFIP are both below 3.50. Ferrer is under team control through 2029. He won’t reach arbitration until the 2027 campaign.
More to come…
