Washington Nationals: Predicting the Opening Day roster after latest cuts
By Drew Douglas
Left-handed relievers
On the left side, the Nats will have Doolittle, Sammy Solis, Enny Romero, and Matt Grace. This makes for an eight-man bullpen, which is somewhat unorthodox, but it is possible due to the Nats’ versatility off the bench.
Solis, a 29-year-old reliever, is excellent when healthy. Unfortunately, he has battled a few injuries throughout his career. If he is able to stay on the field, he can be a stellar lefty out of the ‘pen.
Although Solis is talented enough to make the roster, he may be hurt by the fact that he has an option remaining. Romero and Grace are both out of options, so the Nats would have to pass them through waivers if they do not break camp with the team.
Romero has the potential to be an elite reliever, but he must harness his control. He possesses a triple-digit fastball, yet he often does not know where it is going. He can be effectively wild, but harnessing his control would be extremely beneficial.
The final reliever in the bullpen will be Grace. He did a solid job last year, but struggled a bit due to fatigue. The Nats tried to use him as a long man, despite his arm not being stretched out enough to succeed as a long reliever.
If Grace is properly deployed, he can be a reliable lefty.
The Nats have a few wild cards in the bullpen, such as Kelley, Romero, Koda Glover, and Joaquin Benoit, but they have a solid relief corps altogether.