Call to the pen
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Washington Nationals look to 2019 after disappointing season

By Drew Douglas

DENVER, CO - SEPTEMBER 30: Bryce Harper #34 and Juan Soto #22 of the Washington Nationals have a word after Harper was stranded on the bases after the top of the fourth inning of a game against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on September 30, 2018 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)
DENVER, CO - SEPTEMBER 30: Bryce Harper #34 and Juan Soto #22 of the Washington Nationals have a word after Harper was stranded on the bases after the top of the fourth inning of a game against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on September 30, 2018 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) /
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Washington Nationals
WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 24: Sean Doolittle #62 of the Washington Nationals pitches against the Miami Marlins at Nationals Park on September 24, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images) /

Looking ahead at the 2019 pitching staff

Historically, the Washington Nationals have been built on stellar pitching. That was not the case in 2018, which played a role in their disappointing season.

Max Scherzer produced yet another Cy Young-caliber season, but he did not receive much help from his fellow starters. Stephen Strasburg missed a significant chunk of the year with various injuries and experienced diminished velocity late in the season. If the Nats are going to improve in 2019, they need more from him.

Tanner Roark has been the definition of consistency over the years, but he had an erratic season. He struggled out of the gate, returned to form after the All-Star Break, and struggled to end the year. 2019 is a contract year for Roark, and a bounce-back campaign would be in the best interest of everyone involved.

After Roark, the rotation is a bit gloomy. Joe Ross will likely get a shot to start, but he threw just 16 innings in three starts down the stretch after returning from Tommy John Surgery. He is a big part of the Nats’ future plans, so look for them to play it safe with the 25-year-old righty.

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Jeremy Hellickson was solid when healthy for the Nats in 2018, but he is now a free agent. He will probably be relatively inexpensive, but he should be more of a backup plan. Of the Nats’ in-house candidates, Erick Fedde, Jefry Rodriguez, and Austin Voth may get an opportunity to compete for a chance to replace Hellickson in the rotation. A few potential targets include Patrick Corbin, Clayton Kershaw, Hyun-Jin Ryu, Gio Gonzalez, Dallas Keuchel, and Sonny Gray.

Sean Doolittle is one of the best closers in baseball and highlights the Nats’ relief corps, but he could use some help in the back-end of the bullpen. The Nats traded for Kyle Barraclough shortly after the season ended, which helps, but another late-inning reliever would be nice.

Greg Holland and Kelvin Herrera were both mid-season acquisitions in 2018, but they are both currently free agents. If the Nats could re-sign one of the two, it would do wonders for the setup crew.

Of the Nats’ in-house options, Doolittle, Barraclough, Matt Grace, Wander Suero, Koda Glover, and Justin Miller should be just about guaranteed a spot in the Opening Day bullpen. Meanwhile, Tim Collins, Sammy Solis, Jimmy Cordero, and Trevor Gott should get an opportunity to compete for a spot. A few potential relief targets include Andrew Miller, Adam Ottavino, Tony Sipp, Joe Kelly, and Tony Watson.

Next. Nats may be better off without Bryce Harper. dark

Despite their underwhelming 2018 season, the Washington Nationals are in a prime position to return to contention in 2019. However, in order to do so, they must learn from their mistakes and address them this offseason.

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