Right-hander Doug Fister, a steady starting pitcher for the Detroit Tigers the past 2 1/2 seasons, was traded Monday to the Washington Nationals.

The Nationals sent infielder Steve Lombardozzi, left-handed pitcher Ian Krol and minor league lefty Robbie Ray to the Tigers.

"This is an exciting day for the Washington Nationals," Rizzo said in a prepared statement. "We feel we've added a talented, young veteran to our starting pitching corps. Doug is battle-tested through playoff experiences, and the depth he brings to our staff is exceptional. We are thrilled to welcome him aboard."

Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski said in a press release, "We are excited to be adding three solid players to the organization. Robbie is a premium pitching prospect, Ian adds a quality left-handed young arm for the bullpen, and Steve provides our ballclub with versatility in several roles as a switch-hitting utilityman."

Fister, 29, finished 14-9 with a 3.67 ERA in 33 regular-season games (32 starts) for Detroit in 2013. He also went 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA in two postseason starts.

Since joining the Tigers in a July 2011 deal that sent pitcher Charlie Furbush and reliever Casper Wells to the Seattle Mariners, Fister compiled a 32-20 record with a 3.29 ERA in 70 games (68 starts). Over 2 1/2 seasons in Seattle, Fister went 12-30 with a 3.81 ERA in 60 games (59 starts).

He joins a loaded Nationals rotation that includes right-handers Stephen Strasburg and Jordan Zimmermann and left-handers Gio Gonzalez and Ross Detwiler.

Right-hander Dan Haren, who had a disappointing season in Washington, signed a free agent deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers last week.

By trading Fister, the Tigers open a spot in their rotation for Drew Smyly. A 24-year-old left-hander, Smyly went 6-0 with two saves and a 2.37 ERA in 63 relief appearances for Detroit last season. He made 18 starts for the Tigers in 2012, going 4-3 with a 3.79 ERA.

Lombardozzi, 25, split time between second base and left field for Washington this year. In 118 games, he batted .259 with a .278 on-base percentage, a .338 slugging percentage, two homers and 22 RBIs.

Krol, 22, made 32 relief appearances for the Nationals as a rookie this year. He went 2-1 with a 3.95 ERA.

Ray, 22, split the season between high Class A Potomac and Double-A Hagerstown, going 11-5 with a 3.36 ERA in 27 starts.