Washington Nationals bolster bullpen by acquiring Kyle Barraclough

Although the MLB postseason is still underway, the Washington Nationals have already begun to assemble their 2019 roster. On Wednesday, they acquired veteran reliever Kyle Barraclough.

It is no secret that 2018 did not go to plan for the Washington Nationals. They had lofty expectations, vowing to make it past the National League Division Series for the first time in team history, but ended up failing to make the postseason altogether.

Now that the regular season has been over for a couple weeks, Mike Rizzo and co. have had plenty of time to assess what went wrong and what needs to change in 2019. The Nats’ inconsistent bullpen played a role in their disappointing season, but Rizzo has not wasted any time in improving the relief corps.

On Wednesday, the Nats acquired veteran reliever Kyle Barraclough from the Miami Marlins in a rare October trade.

Barraclough, 28, had an erratic 2018 season, but has the potential to be a dominant late-inning reliever. In 61 appearances, he pitched to a 4.20 ERA, nearly an entire run higher than his 3.21 career ERA.

2018 was shaping up to be an outstanding season for Barraclough, as he owned a 0.99 ERA in 37 games through the end of June. He allowed just one run between May and June, earned the closer role, and was named the NL Reliever of the Month in June. All of a sudden, he had become one of the most sought-after relievers at the trade deadline, but Miami refused to part with him.

Unfortunately, Barraclough’s season then took a turn for the worst. After the All-Star Break, he pitched to a 13.50 ERA and battled a back injury. What at one point was looking like a career year ended up being arguably the worst season of his career due to a poor finish.

By trading for Barraclough, the Nats are hoping he can return to form.

In addition to his on-field performance, Barraclough’s contract is very attractive. He will be arbitration-eligible for the first time this winter, meaning he has three years of team control remaining. He should also be relatively inexpensive. MLB Trade Rumors projected that he will make $1.9 million in arbitration.

In today’s game, when late-inning relievers are making as much as $20 million a year, Barraclough is a bargain.

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

Where Barraclough fits into the Nats’ bullpen remains to be seen, but he will presumably set up for Sean Doolittle. Greg Holland finished the season in this role, but he is now a free agent. Of the Nats’ in-house candidates, Koda Glover, Wander Suero, Matt Grace, and Justin Miller figure to split late-inning duties with Barraclough and Doolittle.

In order to pry Barraclough out of Miami, the Nats had to give up some international slot money. The Marlins are reportedly set to be key players in the Victor Victor Mesa and Victor Mesa Jr. sweepstakes, which would explain their desire for international slot money.

Like many trades involving the Nats, this deal appears to be a win-win. The Nats get a late-inning reliever with upside and team control, while the Marlins get some international money to make a run at the Mesa brothers.

Washington Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo has established himself as one of the best in the business, and has made yet another great trade by bringing Kyle Barraclough to DC.