The Nationals and Mariners executed a trade that made sense for both teams:

The Washington Nationals traded left-hander Jose Ferrer to the Seattle Mariners for top catching prospect Harry Ford and minor league pitcher Isaac Lyon, the teams announced Saturday.

ESPN.com

Ferrer limits walks and home runs, but his strikeout rate is low enough that plenty of balls get put in play. Washington fielders showed poor range in 2025, and Ferrer’s ERA in his three seasons there came out higher than his FIP. He is the type of pitcher who needs a good defense behind him to succeed.

Ford gets on base, and going into his age 23 season he tended to be young for his minor league levels. Despite that he posted excellent OBPs. The Mariners, with Cal Raleigh at catcher, found more value for Ford in a trade. The Nats catchers generated little offense in 2025.

So the Nats made themselves stronger up the middle by trading a good pitcher who doesn’t work well on their roster. It’s a smart move by the new front office.

Lyon pitched only 12 1/3 professional innings, but limited walks and home runs in college.