Nationals draw trade interest in Gio Gonzalez

The Nationals have traded Daniel Murphy, Matt Adams, Shawn Kelley and Brandon Kintzler over the last month, and sources say at least one more move is expected before Friday night’s deadline to set postseason rosters.

Left-handed starter Gio Gonzalez — a free agent after this season — has drawn interest from multiple teams in recent days, sources said. Gonzalez has cleared trade waivers and is eligible to be dealt to any Major League team, as first reported by Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post.

The Nationals have traded Daniel Murphy, Matt Adams, Shawn Kelley and Brandon Kintzler over the last month, and sources say at least one more move is expected before Friday night’s deadline to set postseason rosters.

Left-handed starter Gio Gonzalez — a free agent after this season — has drawn interest from multiple teams in recent days, sources said. Gonzalez has cleared trade waivers and is eligible to be dealt to any Major League team, as first reported by Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post.

• Trade waivers and Aug. 31 deadline

According to one source, the Nationals also have received recent interest in veteran reliever Ryan Madson, who returned from the disabled list Monday and has surrendered at least an earned run in three consecutive outings.

Gonzalez, 32, could fit with teams that have prominent starters on the disabled list, such as the Red Sox, Indians or Brewers. He holds particular appeal to teams with head-to-head games against the Dodgers or Phillies — in the regular season or possibly the playoffs — because both teams rank in the bottom half of the Majors in OPS against left-handed pitchers.

Gonzalez has started six games across four postseasons with the Nationals. However, he did not record an out in the sixth inning or later in any of them, largely because he has issued 19 walks in 26 1/3 playoff innings. Gonzalez started (and received no-decisions) in games that eliminated the Nationals from the 2012, 2014 and 2017 postseasons.

Gonzalez is earning $12 million in the final season of his contract, meaning he’s owed roughly $2 million over the balance of the year. He’s been slightly below league-average this season by ERA+, meaning it’s far from assured that the Nationals would extend him a one-year qualifying offer for 2019. Last year, the value of a qualifying offer was $17.4 million.

The Nationals will be especially motivated to trade Gonzalez this week if they do not plan to offer him a 2019 contract, since the qualifying offer is the only mechanism through which the Nationals receive Draft-pick compensation if and when he signs with another team.