NATS GM RIZZO WANTS ESTABLISHED STARTER

The last time Mike Rizzo traded for an established starting pitcher was five years ago, in December 2013, when he sent Robbie Ray, Steve Lombardozzi and Ian Krol to the Detroit Tigers in exchange for Doug Fister.

Before that deal, the Washington Nationals’ general manager hadn’t traded for a big-league starter since 2011, when he sent four players to the Oakland Athletics in exchange for Gio Gonzalez. He had not made a deal for a starter with big-league experience before that trade. Until about 2011, he and his staff had little need to add.

In the years since those deals, Rizzo has traded for dozens of relievers, a handful of regular position players, plenty of bench

Looking for help

players and even a couple of future rotation staples.

With established starting pitchers, he picks his spots.

Rizzo has said he will explore all his options on the starting-pitching market. Everyone knows the big-name free agents — Patrick Corbin, Dallas Keuchel, Nathan Eovaldi, etc. — and the Nationals will almost certainly keep track of all of them, even if they do not mount a full-on pursuit.