Nats GM hunting for closer: Losing games in 9th 'demoralizing'
The Washington Nationals may be one of baseball's top teams and the owners of the best record in the National League East, but even they have areas of concern that president and general manager Mike Rizzo is hoping to address.
"Losing games in the ninth inning has been so demoralizing," Rizzo recently told Bob Nightengale of USA Today. "It’s certainly not the way you want to go through a season. You look at our team, and all of the great performances and great seasons we’re having, and nobody is talking about it. It’s all about the bullpen and how those guys are struggling. It gets old.
"We’ve got guys that are underperforming in the bullpen, and that’s on me to take care of it."
The ninth inning has been a concern for the Nationals most of the season, with their 'pen combining to post a 5.55 ERA in the game's final frame, and while youngster Koda Glover has recently offered some stability, the Nationals' relief corps hasn't proven effective.
They've posted the second-highest ERA in the big leagues behind only the Seattle Mariners, have saved just 12 of 20 games, and are allowing opposing teams to hit .287, the highest opponent's average allowed by any team in baseball.
Nationals bullpen
| PITCHER | G | IP | ERA | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matt Albers | 17 | 16.2 | 1.62 | 3 | 14 |
| Jacob Turner | 6 | 10.1 | 2.61 | 4 | 7 |
| Koda Glover | 15 | 13 | 2.77 | 2 | 10 |
| Matt Grace | 5 | 5.2 | 4.76 | 2 | 1 |
| Enny Romero | 20 | 20.1 | 5.75 | 6 | 20 |
| Oliver Perez | 13 | 9.1 | 5.79 | 2 | 10 |
| Shawn Kelley | 15 | 13.1 | 6.08 | 8 | 18 |
| Blake Treinen | 21 | 19.2 | 7.78 | 10 | 20 |
| Sammy Solis | 6 | 4.1 | 8.31 | 3 | 3 |
| Joe Blanton | 14 | 12.1 | 9.49 | 4 | 12 |
Washington's bullpen has been so bad that a report recently surfaced saying the team was internally discussing ninth-inning options such as Kelvin Herrera, Alex Colome, A.J. Ramos, and Roberto Osuna, as well as a possible reunion with Mark Melancon.
The Nationals have also had frequent trade discussions with the Chicago White Sox about closer David Robertson, whom they nearly completed a deal for before spring training, according to sources of Nightengale.
"We’re not afraid to make a trade, but the supply and demand of these elite relievers are far and between. They’re so hard to get," Rizzo explained.