Nationals' Jeff Ames: Latches on with Nationals

Ames agreed to a minor-league deal with the Nationals on Thursday, Chris Cotillo of SB Nation reports.

Ames -- a first-round pick in the 2011 draft -- has spent the last seven years of his career climbing the minor-league ranks within the Rays' organization. He spent the 2017 campaign with Triple-A Durham, posting a 3.98 ERA and 78:35 K:BB over 63.1 innings of work. The righty will need to cut down on his inflated walk rate if he hopes to play his way into a big-league relief role with his new club.