The Washington Nationals have made it a very clear point to improve their bullpen this offseason. While we will not actually know if the unit as a whole is improved until the season begins, the team is at least not completely looking to run back what they had last season.
For anyone who paid attention last year, this is great news, as the Nationals' bullpen was one of the worst units in all of baseball, and has consistently been a poor unit for a long time. The fact that the team wants to change things up is a big development for the franchise, and will be something that new President of Baseball Operations Paul Toboni and his front office are judged heavily for.
Throughout the offseason, they have made numerous waiver claims and even some trades for some fringe 40-man guys as well. Additionally, they have made some more serious moves recently, with their most recent signing looking easily like their best signings they have made throughout the entire offseason, based on track record.
The Nationals were able to steal righty reliever Drew Smith in free agency, who had been with the National League East rival New York Mets since 2018. This is a very solid addition for the Nationals' bullpen, and the team was able to get him on a very affordable deal as well, with him being on a minor league deal.
Similar to the Cionel Perez signing the team made over the weekend, Smith will make $1.75M plus incentives if he makes the club, and he should have a very good opportunity to do so as long as he doesn't fall flat during spring training. Ideally, he profiles as a relatively high-leverage arm given his experience and overall profile as a reliever.
For his career, Smith has a 3.48 ERA and 1.278 WHIP, and has struck out 202 batters compared to 77 walks in 196.1 total innings and 191 games. He did not appear in the majors last season as he was recovering from Tommy John Surgery, but he has never posted above a 4.15 ERA out of the bullpen in a season in which he appeared in more than 8 games.
At the very least, Smith is looking like the first reliever the Nationals have signed that has encouraging overall numbers for their career, and for that we should be excited about his potential role in the team's bullpen this season.
What do you think of the Nationals signing reliever Drew Smith? As always, please let me know on X, @DCBerk.