WASHINGTON — A day after a different potential deal with the Chicago White Sox fell through, the Washington Nationals sent three of their top young pitchers to Chicago in exchange for outfielder Adam Eaton.
The Nats officially announced the deal was in place Wednesday afternoon. In exchange, Washington will send top pitching prospects Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez, along with last year’s first-round pick Dane Dunning, to the South Side.
Eaton, who turned 28 on Tuesday, is a career .284 hitter with a .357 on-base percentage. He has averaged seven home runs and 11 stolen bases in his five-year Major League career, and is expected to play center field in Washington, pushing Trea Turner back to shortstop.
Eaton is under team control for five seasons, due $18.4 million over the next three years, with team options of $9.5 million and $10.5 million in 2020 and 2021.
Giolito, 22, is Washington’s top-ranked prospect and made his Major League debut last season. He was 22-15 with a 2.73 ERA and 9.7 K/9 IP over his minor league career.
Lopez, also 22, went 5-3 with a 4.91 ERA in 11 appearances (six starts) in his first Major League action last season. Dunning, 21, was 3-2 with a 2.02 ERA across two minor league levels in his first professional season last year.
