The Nationals bullpen has had question marks for about as long as I can remember. No, I am not talking The Bullpen right outside of the stadium, however that spot has been more consistent than The Sunrise Cafe since it opened. But in all seriousness, the bullpen of the Washington Nationals has generally been the team's fatal flaw for upwards of the last decade. With Kyle Finnegan seemingly locked into the closing role, the Nats had a decision to make regarding filling out the rest of the pen, and they made a few important moves acquisitions this offseason, one of which I'll be getting into this article.
An overview of Jorge López
Jorge López, who had a very tumultuous season last year with the New York Mets and Chicago Cubs, is slated to be the setup man this season. This was a risky signing for the Nats, as Lopez had an extremely rough end of his tenure with the Mets which led to a lot of questions about him as a teammate and clubhouse presence. However, it seemed like a change of scenery was just what he needed, as he finished the year with the Cubs and posted a 2.03 ERA with 31 strikeouts in 26 innings. That showed his ability when he is at his best, and for that reason, I feel that this was the perfect move for the Nats. In addition, he can possibly fill in as a closer, as he does have 31 career saves, if something were to happen to Finnegan.
The "Prove it Deal"
López is on a 1-year, $3 million dollar deal, commonly known as a "prove it deal" in today's day and age. This means that at 32-years-old, if he pitches well, he has an opportunity to get one last larger contract in his career. Therefore, this season is going to be all about he has to proving that he is more so the guy he was with the Cubs than the guy he was with the Mets. This puts the team in a great position as they know they will be getting a player doing his absolute best to prove his value to the organization. This has been a staple for the Nationals offseasons over the last few years and it definitely has the potential to pay off in a big way.
Spring Training Struggles
Granted, López has not been at his best so far during spring training. However while spring training is important in getting a longer look at prospects and figuring out the bottom of the roster, it is much different for established veterans. For a veteran like López, spring training is less about the results and more about the live reps. New pitches and mechanics are tried out, especially with younger guys like DJ Herz or Evan Reifert, the latter of whom was just sent back to the Rays, and knocking off the rust from the months spent not seeing any game action. The only thing that is truly important in spring training for López is making sure he stays healthy. Should he do so, I believe he's going to be a great asset for the Nationals this year.
Let me know who you think will be a breakout star out of this bullpen?