Perhaps it was a coincidence that Nationals pitcher Erick Fedde, a fill-in starter, was struggling in the fifth inning Monday night when the club announced they had made a trade for another pitcher.
Kelvin Herrera, who has 14 saves this season for the Kansas City Royals, was traded to the Nationals for infielder Kelvin Gutierrez, minor league outfielder Blake Perkins and minor league pitcher Yohanse Morel.
Perkins and Gutierrez were the Nationals’ 11th- and 12th-best prospects entering 2018, according to Baseball America.
Herrera, 28, has an ERA of 1.05 in 27 games for the Royals this season with 22 strikeouts and just two walks. He was an All-Star pitcher in 2015 and 206 and part of the Royals World Series title team in 2015.
The veteran pitcher should aid a bullpen in which Sean Doolittle has been the closer this season. Doolittle picked up a save earlier Monday in a 5-3 win in a suspended game with the New York Yankees.
Brandon Kintzler, who normally pitches the seventh inning, is on the disabled list for the Nationals while Ryan Madson normally pitches the eighth inning when Washington is leading in a close game.
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