The arms race in the National League East is not slowing down, as the Washington Nationals are reportedly closing in on a deal with Craig Kimbrel.
If the Washington Nationals are going to return to the postseason, it may come down to their bullpen. Sean Doolittle has been solid as their closer, but there are plenty of question marks behind him. Trevor Rosenthal is coming back from Tommy John surgery, leaving him an unknown for the coming year. Kyle Barraclough can be dominant at times, and then lose the strike zone altogether. Koda Glover has plenty of talent, but is unable to stay healthy. Justin Miller pitched well last season, but at 31 years old, it is difficult to count on that one breakthrough season.
With the bullpen being in the state that it is, it would be more than understandable that the Nationals would look for another arm or two to stabilize the bullpen. As Craig Kimbrel is the best reliever still available, he would be a logical fit for Washington. According to Keith Law, that pairing may be close to happening.
The market has been relatively quiet for Kimbrel this offseason, perhaps due to his reported demands for a contract. He had a solid 2018 campaign, posting a 2.74 ERA and a 0.995 WHiP, notching 42 saves in 47 opportunities. Over his 62.1 innings, Kimbrel struck out 96 batters, but also issued 31 walks.
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Kimbrel also did not leave a strong impression based on his postseason work. While he did record six saves and strike out ten batters in his 10.2 innings, he was hardly dominant. The opposition torched Kimbrel for a 5.91 ERA and a 1.594 WHiP. There were concerns that he was tipping his pitches through the playoffs, which would help to explain those struggles.
Yet, there were some potential warning signs in the regular season as well. Kimbrel’s 4.5 BB/9 rate was the second highest of his career over a full season, with only his 5.1 BB/9 rate in 2016 as a worse mark. Kimbrel also allowed a career worst seven homers, essentially one home run every nine innings.
And yet, those struggles may not matter. He is a year removed from one of the most dominant seasons for a reliever in baseball history, and has proven to be one of the best closers in the history of the game. His presence in the Nationals bullpen would certainly make the rest of the relief corps that much better.
The Washington Nationals are reportedly closing in on Craig Kimbrel. As they look to keep pace in a loaded NL East, this could be the move that gets them into the playoffs.
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