Call to the pen
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27 Dresses: Nationals Bullpen Can’t Find The Right Look

By TC Zencka

WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 25: Fernando Rodney #56 of the Washington Nationals rides the bullpen cart to the mound during a baseball game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on July 25, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 25: Fernando Rodney #56 of the Washington Nationals rides the bullpen cart to the mound during a baseball game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on July 25, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /
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The Washington Nationals have used 27 different relievers this season as GM Mike Rizzo and manager Dave Martinez try to find their perfect match.

If there were a Darwin Awards in baseball, Mike Rizzo’s for your consideration campaign would need no help – his annual inability to put together a bullpen speaks for itself. Despite the tragic incompetence of his relievers, however, the Washington Nationals playoff hopes are not dead. Far from it.

Rizzo isn’t alone in killing late-game leads for the Nats. Dave Martinez does him no favors by ignoring reverse splits, clumping appearances, and waiting for leads to dissolve before making a move.

Martinez is a believer. He manages the bullpen like he really expects guys like Tanner Rainey, Fernando Rodney, and Hunter Strickland to put together dominating performances. He manages like he’s trying to get these guys on track.

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That’s well and good for April, and I’m sure his players appreciate the faith, but when there are less than 10 games to go in the season, it’s time to manage to win ballgames.

Still, Davey’s tactical acumen (or lack thereof) pales in comparison to the problem of personnel.

The Nationals have used 27 different relievers this season. With eight guys usually in the pen, that’s more than three full bullpens they’ve cycled through in an effort to find someone – anyone – to get outs late in games.

Rather than go through the entire list – it’s a real who’s who of fan favorites, I assure you – let’s just look at some of the notables from the fWAR leaderboard:

1. Wander Suero (1.4 fWAR), 2. Sean Doolittle (0.7 fWAR), 4. Tony Sipp (0.3 fWAR), T-10. Gerardo Parra (0.0 fWAR), T-10. Brian Dozier (0.0 fWAR), 25. Trevor Rosenthal (-0.3 fWAR), 26. Matt Grace (-0.5 fWAR), 27. Kyle Barraclough (-0.7 fWAR).

  • Parra and Dozier rate in the middle of the pack – they’re position players.
  • Sipp was DFA’d well before either Grace or Barraclough despite a 2.56 ERA over his final 27 appearances.
    • Rosenthal’s story is well known at this point: he was their big free agent signing this winter, and he didn’t record an out until his fifth appearance.
  • Grace appeared in 51 games before they mercifully cut him loose.

Not to mention, Rizzo also traded Austin Adams after one appearance – he’s authored a 3.77 ERA/2.96 FIP with 14.8 K/9 across 29 appearances for the Mariners.

This preposterously, historically, criminally bad bullpen blew another save against the Marlins on Saturday night. Then they blew another save against the Marlins on Sunday afternoon. Yes, those Marlins.

Next. 1 Good Nats Bullpen Story. dark

The latest blown save puts the Nats behind in their attempt to keep home field for the Wild Card game. But then again, whether their bullpen blows that game at home or in Milwaukee doesn’t really matter. It might as well happen at Miller Park because Nats fans have seen this all before.

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