The Washington Nationals moved quickly to fill their void in center field Friday, acquiring Ben Revere from the Toronto Blue Jays for closer Drew Storen, according to Jon Heyman of MLB Network.
James Wagner of the Washington Post reported the Nationals will also get a player to be named later, while the Blue Jays will receive cash as part of the deal.
The move is a win-win for both clubs, as the Nationals lost Denard Span to the San Francisco Giants in free agency earlier Friday (as the Giants announced on Twitter), and the Blue Jays bullpen was exposed in last year's playoffs.
Washington already has Jonathan Papelbon as its closer and had been shopping Storen actively since the winter meetings last month.
Storen had been a viable option but was pushed out when the Nationals acquired Papelbon at last year's trade deadline, prompting Storen and his agent to meet with general manager Mike Rizzo to discuss his future.
The Nationals have also been trying to move the embattled Papelbon, which still could happen before spring training, though it seems unlikely after Friday's deal.
Papelbon has a well-chronicled history of being a clubhouse headache. He clashed with Bryce Harper during the final week of the season and choked the National League MVP in the dugout, which resulted in a suspension.
Papelbon, however, has a no-trade clause in his contract and included the Blue Jays among the 17 teams he would not agree to join, per Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com.
Revere hit .319 with 11 extra-base hits and seven stolen bases in 56 regular-season games with Toronto and batted .255 in the playoffs, scoring seven runs.
The former Philadelphia Phillies and Minnesota Twins outfielder will remain eligible for arbitration through 2017, and Storen is eligible for arbitration for one more season before becoming a free agent in 2017, per Rotoworld.
Revere has upside and is a cost-effective option, but Toronto recognized it has a bevy of contracts to address in the immediate future, with sluggers Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion and star reliever Brett Cecil all set to hit free agency after next season, per Spotrac.
Both the Blue Jays and Nationals are in win-now mode and are keen on establishing the best 2016 rosters they can to contend immediately.
Revere has shown he can be a viable commodity, and the Nationals, after losing out on the Jason Heyward sweepstakes, showed they plan to contend and maintain a strong outfield around Harper and Jayson Werth.
The same can be said for the Blue Jays, who reached the playoffs for the first time since 1993 but fell short of the American League pennant despite entering the playoffs as World Series favorites.
Storen accumulated 29 saves last season before losing his job, and with Cecil as his setup man, he should find a haven north of the border.
Friday's deal was a win-win for both parties involved.
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