Washington Nationals: More MLB teams could use a Brandon Kintzler
By Tim Boyle
One of the most underrated players on the Washington Nationals is Brandon Kintzler. Talent aside, it’s his role with the Nationals that makes him a valued part of this team.
More and more emphasis is placed on the importance of relief pitchers each season. The Washington Nationals experienced this first-hand in 2017 when their bullpen cost them many games early on. They eventually solved their issues in July with two separate trades.
The deal that landed them Sean Doolittle and Ryan Madson gave them a new closer and a very reliable setup man. The trade they made several weeks later just before the deadline ended gave them added depth to an already revamped relief corps.
In a surprising move, the Nationals acquired Minnesota Twins closer Brandon Kintzler. The Twins couldn’t decide if they were buying or selling, ultimately deciding to part with their All-Star ninth-inning man. They did still make it to the postseason, but not before giving the Nationals a weapon more teams in MLB should start focusing on.
What makes Brandon Kintzler so special?
Kintzler’s career hasn’t been spectacular by any stretch. Several seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers produced solid numbers. He never made headline news while there, instead of waiting to have a significant impact in 2017 when the Twins named him their closer.
More from Call to the Pen
- Philadelphia Phillies, ready for a stretch run, bomb St. Louis Cardinals
- Philadelphia Phillies: The 4 players on the franchise’s Mount Rushmore
- Boston Red Sox fans should be upset over Mookie Betts’ comment
- Analyzing the Boston Red Sox trade for Dave Henderson and Spike Owen
- 2023 MLB postseason likely to have a strange look without Yankees, Red Sox, Cardinals
Though he took on a new role with the Washington Nationals, Kintzler continued to pitch well late in 2017. In doing so, he taught us all a valuable lesson about bullpens: they are deeper than the eighth and ninth inning.
Closers have been valuable to general managers for several years now. More recently, setup men are getting attention. But what about those guys who pitch the seventh frame? Where’s the love for them?
Kintzler, who reportedly turned down offers to close in 2018, decided to return to the Nationals for another run. This likely meant less money in his wallet and a lot fewer jersey sales.
Middle relievers are only now beginning to gain attention, win All-Star bids, and earn respect from the fans. Kintzler is one of the latest names on the Nationals doing so. He doesn’t have the charisma of Doolittle, the firepower of Enny Romero, or the future of Koda Glover. Instead, Kintzler relies on his willingness to accept whatever role is asked of him. Not many athletes would take a lesser role on a team for a chance to win. Kintzler did, making his World Series hopes better and improving the team around him.
Officially, Kintzler is not a seventh-inning specialist. Unofficially, the inning belongs to him in 2018. If successful, he can add to the idea that all good teams need to protect the last three innings and not the final two.