Washington Nationals: 5 free agents they should consider

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The Washington Nationals recently lost 12 players in free agency, creating some holes. Here are five free agents they should consider signing.

With free agency officially underway, the Washington Nationals recently lost 12 players. Among those 12 are Matt Albers, Stephen Drew, Howie Kendrick, Brandon Kintzler, Adam Lind, Jose Lobaton, Oliver Perez, and Jayson Werth.

While some of these holes can be addressed with in-house candidates, the Nats will need to acquire players to fill some of the other holes. As of right now, the Nats’ main needs appear to be another starting pitcher, a late-inning reliever, and a catcher.

Mike Rizzo is among the best general managers in the league, so he will likely pull the right strings and acquire the best possible players to fit the Nats’ needs. Those moves could include re-signing some of the Nats’ free agents, signing new free agents, making trades, or a combination of the three.

The Nats’ 12 departing free agents were most in the league, so there could potentially be a lot of turnover from 2017 to 2018. Whatever happens this off-season, there will definitely be at least a few fresh faces around the team come Opening Day.

Without further ado, let’s take a look at five free agents the Nats should consider signing.

Jake Arrieta

Jake Arrieta has pitched for a beltway team before, beginning his career with the Baltimore Orioles. With the Orioles, Arrieta was a mediocre starter. His best season with Baltimore was 2010, when he pitched to a 4.66 ERA in 18 starts.

However, Arrieta was traded to the Chicago Cubs in July of 2013. With the Cubs, he blossomed into an elite starter.

The highlight of Arrieta’s Cubs tenure was 2015, when he had one of the best individual seasons of all time. In 229 innings, he pitched to a 1.77 ERA and went 22-6, cruising to a Cy Young Award.

Now, at 31, Arrieta is a free agent. The Nats have a need for a starting pitcher, and they should absolutely consider signing Arrieta.

2017 was another great season for Arrieta, as he pitched to a 3.53 ERA in 168.1 innings. He did not have his typical workhorse season due to missing time with a hamstring injury, but still had a fantastic year.

Arrieta also provides postseason experience and success, two things the Nats are currently seeking. In nine postseason starts, he has pitched to a 3.08 ERA. He also has lots of experience, including wining the World Series in 2016.

Finally, Arrieta now has a connection to the Nats. New Nats manager Dave Martinez spent the last three seasons as the Cubs bench coach. Because of this, Arrieta is familiar with Martinez, which could attract him to the Nats.

The Nats have a need for a starting pitcher and there are several possible fits, but they should definitely consider signing Arrieta.

Alex Cobb

Alex Cobb is essentially the American League’s version of Tanner Roark. He has been one of the most consistent starting pitchers in the league for several years now, but does not get the recognition he deserves due to pitching on a star-studded staff. For Roark, it’s Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg; for Cobb, it’s Chris Archer.

Whether he is recognized or not, Cobb is a terrific starting pitcher. His devastating sinker has allowed him to induce ground balls at a nearly 50 percent clip, an extremely effective formula for success.

Like Arrieta, Cobb also has a connection to the Nats because of Martinez. Before joining the Cubs, Martinez was the Rays bench coach from 2008-2014. Cobb debuted in 2011, so he worked alongside Martinez for four seasons. If he was fond of Martinez, which most players are, he may come to the Nats to reunite with his former coach.

However, Cobb likely will not come cheap. He was recently extended a qualifying offer, which is $17.4 million. Because of this, he will likely seek a contract of at least $17 million per season. Whoever signs him will also have to give up a draft pick.

Cobb will not come cheap, but he is among the most consistent starting pitchers in the league. The Nats should definitely consider signing him to fill the hole in their rotation.

Pat Neshek

The Nats had one of the best bullpens in the league throughout the second half, thanks to mid-season acquisitions Sean Doolittle, Ryan Madson, and Brandon Kintzler. However, Kintzler is now a free agent, creating a need for a late-inning reliever.

Veteran reliever Pat Neshek is a perfect candidate to fill this need. He spent the first half of 2017 pitching for the Philadelphia Phillies before getting traded to the Colorado Rockies at the trade deadline. Between the two teams, Neshek pitched to a 1.59 ERA in 71 games.

Despite the fact that Neshek is 37, he is still one of the most reliable relievers in the league due to his deceptive submarine motion. In 2017, he did not allow an earned run until his 15th appearance (May 14), when he allowed a home run to Michael Taylor.

To make his 2017 season even more impressive, his two home ballparks, Citizens Bank Park and Coors Field, are two of the most hitter-friendly parks in the league. Somehow, at 37 years old, Neshek managed to put together a tremendous season in two of the most hitter-friendly parks in the league.

Neshek also has outstanding stats, both in the regular season and postseason throughout his 11-year career. In the regular season, he has pitched to a 2.75 ERA in 494 games and in the postseason, he has pitched to a 3.86 ERA in 14 games.

The Nats have World Series aspirations, but have yet to advance out of the NLDS since returning to DC in 2005. Because of this, they will be seeking players with postseason experience and success; Neshek provides both of these.

If Kintzler departs in free agency, the Nats will have a need for a late-inning reliever. There will be a few solid options, but they can’t go wrong with Neshek.

Alex Avila

Nats catcher Matt Wieters exercised his 2018 option, so he will be back next season, barring anything unexpected. However, Jose Lobaton‘s contract expired, so he is now a free agent.

If Lobaton departs in free agency, which appears somewhat likely, the Nats will have a need for a catcher. They have Pedro Severino and Raudy Read in the minors, but neither appear to be MLB-ready yet.

In order to fill this hole, one solid option is Alex Avila. Avila spent 2017 playing for the Detroit Tigers and Chicago Cubs, and had a combined slash line of .264/.387/.447 with 14 homers.

Avila also has experience as both a starter and back-up. He has started for most of his career, but was Willson Contreras‘ back-up with the Cubs. As of right now, Wieters appears to be the starter, but he struggled in 2017 and could be on thin ice. Avila’s experience in both roles could prove to be an enormous asset.

Like Arrieta and Cobb, Avila is also connected to the Nats because of a prior relationship with Dave Martinez. If Avila enjoyed his time with Martinez in 2017, he may want to join the Nats.

Although Avila’s prior relationship with Martinez is important, his prior relationship with Max Scherzer is more important. Avila was Scherzer’s catcher in Detroit, and Scherzer had some of his best seasons with Avila behind the plate. During their time together, Scherzer was named an All-Star twice, won a Cy Young Award, and led the American League in wins twice.

Scherzer is one of the most important players to the Nats, and if he wants to reunite with Avila, Rizzo should do everything in his power to bring him to DC.

Welington Castillo

If Lobaton departs in free agency, another great option to replace him is Welington Castillo. He spent 2017 with the Baltimore Orioles, and had the best season of his career.

The 30-year-old catcher owned a slash line of .282/.323/.490 to go with his 20 homers. Castillo is also a right-handed hitter, which could allow him to be a perfect platoon partner with Wieters.

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Wieters, a switch hitter, had slightly better stats as a left-handed hitter in 2017. If the Nats sign Castillo, he could play against lefties and Wieters could play against righties.

Castillo is also a fantastic defensive catcher. The Nats have typically struggled with allowing runners to steal a lot, but Castillo could be a great fix. In 2017, he had the best stolen base percentage in the league, throwing out 24 of 49 base stealers.

Wieters, on the other hand, allowed the second-most stolen bases in the National League in 2017. Part of the blame can be placed on the Nationals pitchers, but Wieters is widely regarded as a poor defensive catcher.

Finally, like seemingly every player in the league, Castillo is connected to the Nats because of a prior relationship with Martinez. He played for the Cubs from 2010-2015 and Martinez began his Cubs tenure in 2015. If Castillo enjoyed his time with Martinez, he may want to reunite with him in DC.

Next: A look at the post-Bryce Harper era

Now that free agency has begun, the Nats lost 12 players and have several holes. However, there are even more players available to fill those holes. If the Nats choose to address these needs through free agency, they should strongly consider Jake Arrieta, Alex Cobb, Pat Neshek, Alex Avila, and Welington Castillo.

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