The Washington Nationals acquired reliever Hunter Strickland from the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday afternoon. Will they end up regretting the move?
In what is becoming an annual tradition, the Washington Nationals rebuilt their bullpen at the trade deadline. Mike Rizzo has acquired big names, such as Sean Doolittle, Brandon Kintzler, and Mark Melancon, in the past, but did not have the resources to make much of a splash this summer. Despite his limitations, Rizzo did a nice job of adding impactful relievers.
Although the Nats did not acquire any huge names, there are some storylines to keep an eye on. Daniel Hudson and Roenis Elias are exciting new toys for Dave Martinez to utilize, but all eyes will be on Hunter Strickland.
Strickland has established himself as a reliable late-inning reliever, pitching to a 2.98 ERA in six seasons, but is better known for his temper. He introduced himself to the Nats on Memorial Day in 2017 by drilling Bryce Harper over a grudge he had held for nearly three years. Washington revered Harper and vilified Strickland, but Harper has since joined Strickland as a villain. Now, Strickland has an opportunity to right his wrongs.
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Unfortunately, the Memorial Day incident is not the only occasion in which Strickland let his emotions get the best of him. Last summer, after blowing a save, Strickland broke his pitching hand by punching a door in the clubhouse. The injury would require surgery and sidelined him for two months.
Now, the Nats will bring Strickland into what appears to be an outstanding clubhouse. From Baby Shark to dancing in the dugout and everything in between, the Nats could not be having much more fun right now. From the outside, this looks like a close-knit group and it would be a shame if a midseason acquisition put the team chemistry in jeopardy.
The Nats are familiar with this concept, as Jonathan Papelbon did more harm than good after being acquired in 2015. Papelbon was an effective reliever for the Nats, but ended the season by choking Harper in the dugout. The team did not seem as close in 2015, and Matt Williams was not as skilled in the clubhouse as Martinez, but there are some parallels.
Rizzo has always taken character into account when acquiring a new player and has sung Strickland’s praises since the trade became official, so there is reason for optimism, but the Nats will have to keep an eye on their newest reliever. The team is on a magical run and cannot afford to let a toxic player drag them down.
Odds are, Hunter Strickland has probably matured and learned from his troubled past; the Washington Nationals would not have traded for him otherwise. However, if he begins to regress, the Nats should not hesitate to cut him loose, regardless of his on-field performance.