District On Deck
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Washington Nationals To Have Competition for Final Rotation Spot

By Matt Weyrich

May 10, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals starting pitcher Joe Ross (41) throws to the Detroit Tigers during the first inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
May 10, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals starting pitcher Joe Ross (41) throws to the Detroit Tigers during the first inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports /
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Despite a promising 2016 campaign, Joe Ross isn’t guaranteed a spot in the Washington Nationals rotation next season.

The backbone of the Washington Nationals success since they became a perennial playoff contender has been starting pitching. Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg and Tanner Roark all have the potential to compete for a Cy Young Award, and the team appears content with Gio Gonzalez being the sole left-hander in the rotation.

Last season, Joe Ross held the final spot in the rotation. The 23-year old righty went 7-5 with a 3.43 ERA in 19 starts, but missed two months in the middle of the season due to shoulder inflammation. Ross was a top-100 prospect (subscription required) throughout his development, but the Nats may opt to go with someone else if he’s outpitched in Spring Training. This is what pitching coach Mike Maddux said at Winterfest yesterday:

After trading their top two pitching prospects to the White Sox in a deal for Adam Eaton last week, the Nats don’t have as many arms competing for the spot. Erick Fedde, whom pitching coach Mike Maddux mentioned as a potential candidate, just wrapped up his second season back from Tommy John surgery at AA-Harrisburg.

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Fedde is now the team’s No. 1 pitching prospect according to MLB.com. He posted a 3.12 ERA in 23 appearances (22 starts) across two different levels of the minor leagues. This is the first time Fedde has been mentioned as a possible contributor for the ballclub at the major league level.

Dusty Baker and company could also go with fellow right-hander Austin Voth, who is a year older and was considered as a potential call-up when Strasburg hit the Disabled List last season. Voth spent the entire year at AAA-Syracuse. He made 27 appearances (25 starts), posting a 3.15 ERA in 157 innings.

A.J. Cole is also a potential option for Washington, but so far he hasn’t displayed much consistency to warrant the job. Cole made eight starts for the Nats in 2016, striking out hitters at an impressive rate but giving up runs just as often. His 5.29 career ERA in the majors has left much to be desired for the 24-year old righty.

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Ross boasts the best resume and has shown the ability to contribute when healthy. Fedde and Voth both have upsides, however, that could give them the edge over him. If Cole displays improvements in the spring, he certainly will be in the running as well. With the rest of the roster other than a few bench and bullpen spots essentially set, this could be the most intriguing storyline for the Nats come March.

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