Cole traded to Yankees for cash considerations (Nats lose 4-2)

SAN FRANCISCO - A.J. Cole's time with the Nationals is officially over, but he's going to get another chance to pitch in the big leagues. With the Yankees.

The Nats announced tonight they traded Cole to the Yankees for cash considerations, receiving something in return for the right-hander who had been designated for assignment on Friday.

Cole opened the season as the Nationals' No. 5 starter but was moved to the bullpen after two starts, once veteran Jeremy Hellickson (a late spring signing) was ready to join the big league rotation. The club hoped Cole would be valuable as a long reliever but he was torched in two appearances out of the bullpen, giving up two homers (one a grand slam) and a triple in 1 1/3 innings.

Because he's out of options, the Nationals had to designate Cole for assignment rather than simply send him to Triple-A Syracuse. Other clubs were thus allowed to claim him off waivers or complete a trade with the Nats, and the Yankees came calling.

It's unclear what role Cole will have on New York's pitching staff, but he'll need to be on the major league roster or else be exposed to waivers just as was the case in Washington.

Update: Here in San Francisco, the Nationals have fallen behind to the Giants, 2-1, after five innings. They took the lead in the top of the third when Trea Turner tripled and scored on Howie Kendrick's sacrifice fly. But an off-target throw by third baseman Wilmer Difo to the plate allowed Evan Longoria to score for the Giants in the bottom of the fourth. San Francisco then took the lead in the fifth via a two-out rally that included a double by Andrew McCutchen and an RBI single by Buster Posey.

Update II: The sixth inning was not one the Nationals are going to want to remember. They wasted two Giants errors in the top of the frame, stranding runners on second and third. Then after Gio Gonzalez issued a leadoff walk and was pulled by Davey Martinez, Shawn Kelley entered for the first time in a week, threw a high, 89-mph fastball on his first pitch and watched as Mac Williamson launched it 464 feet to right-center. Even worse, three pitches later Kelley spiked one way short of the plate and required a visit from the trainer. After a discussion, the veteran with an extensive history of elbow injuries departed the game. We'll have to wait and see what the prognosis is.

Down 4-1 after six, the Nats did get one run back in the top of the seventh when Michael A. Taylor walked, stole second, took third on Difo's flyout to center and scored on Andrew Stevenson's lineout to right. So it's 4-2 Giants at the stretch.

Update III: That'll do it. Sammy Solís, Trevor Gott and Carlos Torres managed to keep the Giants from adding on any more runs, but the Nats couldn't add anything in the eighth against Tony Watson or the ninth against Hunter Strickland. (Bryce Harper was due up sixth in the inning and never got to the plate to face his nemesis.) So the Nationals lose 4-2, their third straight loss, and fall to 10-13 on the season.