Opening Day of the 2025 season brought intense highs and painful lows. Nationals starting pitcher MacKenzie Gore had 13 strikeouts in six innings of work, Keibert Ruiz connected on his first home run of the year, and Luis Garcia Jr. collected two hits. However, the Nats' bullpen let the team down on Thursday afternoon, with six earned runs in three innings of relief. Offseason signing Lucas Sims was the first arm to be called out of the bullpen and allowed a home run to Bryce Harper, flipping the game's momentum. Should Nationals fans be concerned with Lucas Sims?
The short answer is yes. Last season, Sims was traded from Cincinnati to Boston at the trade deadline. He recorded a 6.43 ERA in 15 appearances with the Red Sox, and consistency seems to have carried into the 2025 season. The Nats signed Sims to a one-year deal with hopes of flipping him at the trade deadline. It's become the theme of recent offseasons: cheap one-year deals with intentions of trading the player. It only works if the player is successful. Sims was fantastic in the 2023 season, pitching to a 3.10 ERA, according to baseball-reference.com. If Lucas can replicate that performance, the Nats could receive a top-30 prospect in return.
Why should Nationals fans be concerned with Sims? The results on Opening Day could be foreshadowing what we see from him. As mentioned, Sims struggled mightily after being acquired by Boston at last season's trade deadline. The right-hander was the first arm called upon out of the bullpen in '25, so it's obvious how important he will be to the bullpen. Sims can fill multiple roles on the mound for coach Davey Martinez, so expect to see a lot of Sims this season.
It was only one game, so it's unfair to say there's ample reason for concern around Sims, but the rumblings are already beginning to start. Nationals fans have dealt with an inconsistent bullpen since the World Series championship in 2019. The bullpen has been a revolving door for the past few seasons. The front office has been reluctant to sign top-tier pitching talent. Inconsistency is a result of not having the best talent available in the pen. The Nats front office's unwillingness to spend in free agency has hurt the team in more ways than just the bullpen, but that's a story for another day.
Washington is back in action on Saturday against the Philadelphia Phillies for game two of the three-game series to begin the 2025 season. Jake Irvin has the ball for the Nats, and Jesus Luzardo has the ball for the Phillies. I wouldn't expect to see Lucas Sims out of the bullpen in Saturday's contest, but the off-day on Friday would make him available to pitch. Davey Martinez could take an aggressive route and throw Sims back in the fire. It will be a "watch and see" type of ordeal with Sims in the next few games.
Side note, the club will be debuting their brand new District Blueprint City Connect jerseys, and you don't want to miss this incredible ticket deal the team launched that comes with a jersey!