Ending the running bullpen joke
The Washington Nationals and a dodgy bullpen won’t be appearing in many Christmas crackers this year, but it’s been a long-running joke recently. They need to change that narrative in 2019 to get back to where they need to be.
Praise the lord for Sean Doolittle, who prevents the bullpen from being a complete disaster. Arguably the best closer in the National League will be steering the ship in the ninth inning again.
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After that is a complete mystery though. The team’s best setup men are both set to be free agents in Kelvin Herrera and Greg Holland, and they’d be wise to bring one back to have a strong bridge to Doolittle.
Matt Grace and Wander Suero impressed in their roles throughout the season, but if they need to be thrust into high-leverage situations often then that’s a problem. Both are much better suited to mid-leverage spots or eating multiple innings.
The rest will all need improving on. Koda Glover had flashes, but when put into high-leverage spots, he was shaky at best. Even if the re-sign Holland or Herrera, they’re going to need to find another seventh or eighth inning guy to try and form the new “Law Firm”.
There are some appealing free agent options out there in David Robertson, Adam Ottavino and Jeurys Familia. They could even make a move for Andrew Miller depending on the price, although there are some fatigue concerns as he continues to fade from his dominant 2016 form.
There are also some trade candidates if they need to keep the financial cost down. The team has long been rumored to make a move on Cincinnati Reds closer Raisel Iglesias, and he could make sense as a dominant multi-inning option.
One way or another, the Nationals are going to have to revamp the bullpen this offseason, so keep an eye on the moves they make in that area.
After a relatively quiet offseason last year, aside from Dusty Baker leaving, the Washington Nationals are going to be major players this time around. It’s going to be a whirlwind, that’s for sure.