Nats trade Abad to Athletics for minor leaguer Wooten (Robertson outrighted)

The Nationals and Athletics have collaborated on a trade yet again. This time, the Nats are sending left-handed reliever Fernando Abad to Oakland for minor league outfielder John Wooten, a source confirms. MLB Network's Peter Gammons was first to report the trade. Abad was designated for assignment by the Nationals last week, giving the team 10 days to trade or release Abad, or assign him to the minor leagues if he cleared waivers. By sending Abad to the A's, the Nats got back Wooten, a 37th-round pick in the 2012 First-Year Player Draft who hit .257/.333/.430 with 20 home runs and 69 RBIs this season at Single-A Beloit. Wooten predominantly played right field this season but also played 10 games at third base, six at first and even one game at second base. Abad posted a 3.35 ERA in 39 games with the Nats in 2013 after being signed to a minor league deal last offseason. He slumped down the stretch, however, and struggled mightily against left-handed hitters, allowing them to post a .306/.338/.452 slash line. By my count, this marks the fifth time the Nats and Athletics have been involved in a trade in the last two years. The Nats acquired Gio Gonzalez from Oakland in December 2011, Kurt Suzuki was sent to D.C. last summer and then shipped back to the A's midway through this season and the Nats got A.J. Cole, Ian Krol and Blake Treinen from the A's in the three-team deal that shipped Michael Morse to Seattle last offseason. No word on whether Mike Rizzo and A's general manager Billy Beane will be trading any Thanksgiving recipes in the coming days. Update: The Nationals have officially announced the Abad-Wooten trade and have also announced that left-handed reliever Tyler Robertson, who was designated for assignment along with Abad last week, has been assigned outright to Triple-A Syracuse.