NATIONALS LAND CATCHER LOBATON
The Washington Nationals acquired catcher Jose Lobaton, pitcher Felipe Rivero and outfielder Drew Vettleson from the Tampa Bay Rays for pitcher Nate Karns.
What does it give the Washington Nationals
The Nationals were in the market for a backup catcher to No. 1 man {P Wilson Ramos} throughout the off-season, and were lately in hot pursuit of Lobaton for a while. So, they did well to get their man, plus two more prospects, in exchange for a depth starter like Karns. Look for Lobaton, a switch-hitter, to cut into Ramos's playing time in 2014.
What does it give the Tampa Bay Rays
After the Rays acquired {P Ryan Hanigan} to team with {P Jose Molina} behind the plate this season, Lobaton became expendable. Therefore, they added a solid depth starter in Karns, who still has a bit of upside left. Tampa Bay also felt comfortable enough with their organizational depth that they were able to include Rivero and Vettleson in this deal.
Fantasy impact
Lobaton has a bit of sleeper appeal in Washington if he carves out a significant amount of at-bats. That said, he's still behind Ramos so his upside is limited. Rivero, Vettleson and Karns have little fantasy value at this time, and none are considered upper-echelon prospects.
