The Washington Nationals’ bullpen has gotten off to a shaky start to the season. They must keep Craig Kimbrel in mind if this continues.
Year after year, the Washington Nationals‘ bullpen proves to be a weak spot on an otherwise talented roster. There was reason for optimism that this season would be different after acquiring Trevor Rosenthal, Kyle Barraclough, and Tony Sipp this offseason, but the early results have not been promising.
The Nats’ relief corps struggled throughout spring training, but it was only spring. Unfortunately, their collective struggles have followed the team north. Through two games, the Nats have allowed seven earned runs in just 4.1 innings of relief, which does not include allowing an additional inherited baserunner to score.
Control issues have been at the heart of the Nats’ early struggles, which has been a theme over the years. Notably, Rosenthal and Barraclough have struggled to get ahead of hitters, which has come back to hurt them late in at-bats.
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If the Nats are going to finally get over the hump this year, they need significant improvement from their relief corps. If their current relievers are not up to the task, there is an intriguing option available in free agency. Even with Opening Day a thing of the past, future Hall of Famer Craig Kimbrel remains unsigned. A deal did not come to fruition when the two sides connected late in the offseason, but Kimbrel remains a fit in Washington.
Kimbrel is more of a luxury than a need for the Nats with Sean Doolittle currently slated as the team’s closer, but Doolittle has voiced his willingness to move to a setup role. Doolittle already gives the Nats an elite ninth inning option, but he and Kimbrel could combine to form a lethal late-inning duo.
Unfortunately for the Nats, they may have to wait until June to sign Kimbrel to a reasonable deal. Right now, any team that signs Kimbrel has to surrender a draft pick since he rejected a qualifying offer at the beginning of the winter. However, the draft pick compensation gets dropped after the draft in June. Kimbrel’s services will still cost a pretty penny, but they will no longer require a draft pick.
Kimbrel will also come a little cheaper if he remains unsigned into June because his contract will only be for part of the season. For teams like the Nationals, who are wary of eclipsing the luxury tax, this could be an attractive alternative.
It is important not to read too much into the first two games of the season, but the Washington Nationals’ worst fears about their bullpen have come true early. If they do not improve, Craig Kimbrel could be a godsend.