Fix the bullpen
The Washington Nationals have not been able to construct a bullpen in the offseason. Their relief corps in 2019 was a complete disaster, but they were able to remake the bullpen on the fly and turn a collection of castoffs into a formidable group over the second half of the season.
The Nationals found themselves in the same situation in 2020 and 2021. However, they were unable to replicate that success over the past two years. It has not been from a lack of trying, as the Nationals have been doing whatever they can to put a respectable bullpen together.
Once again, the Nationals will head into this offseason with the same task – fixing the bullpen. They clearly cannot expect to catch lightning in a bottle over and over again, with the 2019 season a clear anomaly.
Obviously, the Nationals will have plenty of competition. Several other teams need to completely overhaul their bullpen as well. Washington will not be able to scoop up every reliever it needs in order to get back to contention. But adding the right pieces will go a long way towards making that happen.
The Washington Nationals have had bullpen issues for years. It is time that they solve those problems once and for all.