Washington Nationals need a reliever but should avoid Craig Kimbrel

It is no secret that the Washington Nationals are in desperate need of bullpen help. They should, however, avoid Craig Kimbrel.

Through their first 56 games, the Washington Nationals‘ bullpen has pitched to a historically bad 7.23 ERA. Relievers all around the league have regressed this year, but the Nats’ early struggles are unmatched. Even the Baltimore Orioles, owners of the worst record in the MLB, have a bullpen ERA (5.98) over a run lower than the Nats’.

Closer Sean Doolittle has pitched like a potential All-Star, but getting the ball to him with a lead has proven to be nearly impossible. The eighth inning, in particular, has given the Nats problems.

Incredibly, the Nats have allowed 54 earned runs in 56 eighth innings, good for an 8.68 ERA. Trevor Rosenthal was signed to be the primary setup man and occasional closer, but he has suffered from an extreme case of the yips. Rosenthal is currently attempting to work through his issues in Double-A, but the moment of truth is quickly approaching. He has shown signs of modest improvement, but he still struggles to consistently throw strikes. Now 20 days into his rehab assignment, the Nats have 10 days to promote or release him.

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Kyle Barraclough, who the Nats originally envisioned as a seventh inning reliever, has been forced to pitch the eighth in Rosenthal’s absence. Barraclough has had trouble finding the strike zone and keeping the ball in the yard, resulting in a 5.48 ERA.

In search of a reliable setup man, Davey Martinez has recently utilized youngsters Wander Suero and Tanner Rainey in the eighth inning. Each has pitched well for the most part, but they are largely unproven.

Some have suggested the Nats sign Craig Kimbrel and move Doolittle to the eighth, but ownership has been reluctant to exceed the luxury tax. Sitting eight games under .500 and nine games behind the Philadelphia Phillies in the division race, the Nats face a significant uphill battle to avoid missing the postseason for the second consecutive year. It would be a shame to exceed the luxury tax in three consecutive seasons and only make the postseason once.

With Kimbrel likely out of the picture, the Nats will have to look elsewhere for eighth inning help. Suero and Rainey may prove to be effective setup men, but the Nats need all the reliable relievers they can get.

The Giants are reportedly willing to part with some of their veteran relievers well in advance of the July 31 trade deadline. The Nats will likely balk at Will Smith‘s price tag, but Tony Watson and/or Sam Dyson could also help transform the Nats’ bullpen.

Watson, in particular, would be a nice fit in DC. Matt Grace and Tony Sipp are the Nats’ two southpaws aside from Doolittle, and they have both gotten off to shaky starts. Grace has struggled to repeat his breakout campaign from a year ago, while lefties have hit .321 against Sipp. In Watson, the Nats would be getting an established late-inning reliever and a much-needed left-hander to complement Doolittle.

With the MLB Draft set to begin on Monday, Craig Kimbrel’s time as a free agent is likely coming to an end. The Washington Nationals are in desperate need of at least one late-inning reliever, but there are better fits than Kimbrel.