The Nationals project to be one of the worst teams in the league following a very quiet offseason with few moves.
The Washington Nationals are a rolling out a very similar roster to last year’s team. That is not a good thing, as the Nats have a thin rotation and multiple holes in the lineup.
Additions
OF Joey Gallo
INF Nick Senzel
SS Nasim Nuñez (Rule 5)
RP Dylan Floro
OF Jesse Winker (minors)
SP Zach Davies (minors)
RP Matt Barnes (minors)
OF Eddie Rosario (minors)
1B Juan Yepez (minors)
SP Spenser Watkins (minors)
RP Robert Gsellman (minors)
1B Lewin Diaz (minors)
RP Richard Bleier (minors)
RP Derek Law (minors)
Subtractions
1B Dom Smith
RP Cory Abbott
2B Michael Chavis
RP Carl Edwards, Jr.
Offseason Grade: F
The Nationals are no better than they were in October, and it does not seem like GM Mike Rizzo really tried to improve the team. He did more than nothing, but not by much. The Nats committed all of $9.25 million in free agency, and they did not acquire anyone in trades, either. SP Lance Lynn had a 5.73 ERA last year and will make more than Gallo, Senzel, and Floro combined. A small silver lining, though, is that the Nationals made a bunch of interesting minor league signings. Winker and Rosario have real shots at breaking the Opening Day roster, and Barnes and Davies could make the team at some point, as well.
The Signs in the Bullpen
The Nationals made some unusual headlines at the beginning of Spring Training with some signs hanging up in the bullpen. They said, “I don’t care how hard you throw ball four”. The line comes from a comment Rizzo made at a fan event, and clearly it stuck around in his head. It is not hard to parse out the meaning: chucking the ball does not matter if the pitch is way outside. Rizzo wants his pitchers to throw more confident and competitive fastballs, especially in three-ball counts.
While the intent is perfectly logical, the phrase itself is rather puzzling. Rizzo makes it sound like pitchers should just lay ’em in there to ensure they don’t walk batters. Free bases are bad, but home runs are obviously way worse. If the hurlers learn the wrong message, they could end up throwing a frightening amount of gopher balls.
Are There Enough Pitchers?
In a similar vein, the Nationals have a clear lack of talent in the rotation. SPs Josiah Gray and MacKenzie Gore are both decent starters capable of breaking out, but the rest lack dominant stuff. Relying on SPs Patrick Corbin and Trevor Williams to make 30 starts each is a flimsy strategy to begin with, but an injury could really dismantle this rotation. There are few internal depth options available, and the Nats did not acquire anyone impactful, either.
Injuries have already taken their toll in the bullpen, as RP Mason Thompson underwent Tommy John Surgery at the beginning of March. Floro and RP Jose Ferrer will also likely open the season on the Injured List. Meanwhile, in the rotation, prospect SP Cade Cavalli should return from his own TJ sometime in the middle of the season. Hopefully he can hit the ground running as a key part of Washington’s future.
Crucial Developmental Year
Speaking of the future, the front office and fans will be more interested in following how Nats prospects are faring in the minors. Some of them made great strides last year, and another step forward will lead to MLB debuts. OFs James Wood and Dylan Crews should both play in Washington this summer, which would give the Nats one of the most exciting outfields in baseball. Meanwhile OFs Robert Hassell and Elijah Green need to prove they have big league futures.
The Nationals have a number of mid-level pitching prospects on the 40-man roster, and hopefully they pitch at the highest level this year, as well. SPs Mitchell Parker and DJ Herz should get opportunities to pitch out of the rotation in the near future. Davey Martinez will welcome that positive outcome where he doesn’t have to rely on SP Jake Irvin every five days. A day when games in DC are more important than games in Rochester or Harrisburg would be a relieving future.
Opening Day Lineup
- SS CJ Abrams
- RF Lane Thomas
- C Keibert Ruiz
- DH Joey Meneses
- 1B Joey Gallo
- 3B Nick Senzel
- LF Ildemaro Vargas
- 2B Luis Garcia, Jr.
- CF Victor Robles
Bench: C Riley Adams, OF Jacob Young, SS Nasim Nuñez, 3B Jake Alu
Starting Rotation
Josiah Gray
MacKenzie Gore
Patrick Corbin
Trevor Williams
Jake Irvin
Bullpen
Kyle Finnegan
Hunter Harvey
Tanner Rainey
Jordan Weems
Robert Garcia
Amos Willingham
Matt Barnes
Richard Bleier
