Washington Nationals should take a chance on Clay Buchholz

Recently released by the Kansas City Royals, Clay Buchholz is now a free agent. After a solid start to 2018, the Washington Nationals should give him a chance.

Last year, despite having one of the best pitching staffs in the league, the Washington Nationals had a couple glaring weaknesses.

After Joe Ross underwent season-ending Tommy John Surgery in July, the Nats struggled to find a competent replacement. Edwin Jackson filled the role, but he is not the All-Star-caliber pitcher he once was.

In addition to a shortage of starting pitching depth, the Nats’ bullpen lacked a bonafide long reliever. Dusty Baker attempted to use Matt Grace as a long man, but he quickly ran out of gas.

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Unfortunately, the Nats still lack both veteran pitching depth and a reliable long reliever. Jackson and Tommy Milone are veteran starters in Triple-A, with Erick Fedde and Austin Voth developing, but the organization could use more depth.

As for the long reliever, Carlos Torres is currently filling the role. It is still early, but the 35-year-old has struggled.

Mike Rizzo has always done a great job of addressing any weaknesses at the trade deadline, but a new opportunity just arose. On Tuesday night, the Kansas City Royals surprisingly released Clay Buchholz.

Although Buchholz’s days of being an All-Star may be behind him, he appears to have something left in the tank.

Buchholz made three starts in the Royals’ farm system prior to being released, pitching to a 1.13 ERA in 16 innings. His ERA, WHIP (1.06), and BAA (.175) were all encouraging. However, he did issue seven walks, good for a 3.94 BB/9.

Considering Buchholz’s mixed results and small sample size, it is unlikely that he will get an immediate opportunity on a contending team. If he is looking for a straight shot to the majors, his best bet is with a rebuilding team in search of a veteran leader and innings-eater.

However, if Buchholz is willing to stay in the minors a bit longer, he could prove his worth to a contender.

If the Nats give Buchholz an opportunity to prove himself in Triple-A, he could soon find himself donning the Curly W. The major league bullpen has been overused to begin the year, which could be corrected by a reliable long reliever.

Even if Buchholz does not fit in the Nats’ bullpen, he could be beneficial to have in Triple-A. He could mentor Fedde and Voth with the Syracuse Chiefs, while also serving as depth in case of an injury.

Finally, Buchholz provides a good bit of postseason experience. The Washington Nationals have attempted to overcome their dreadful postseason history by bringing in a manager and players with postseason experience. As a former World Series champion, Buchholz would not a bad addition.

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At the end of the day, Clay Buchholz is not guaranteed to make an impact at the major league level with the Washington Nationals or anyone for that matter. He is, however, worth a flier.