Washington Nationals Roster Building for the Future, Part 2

On Wednesday we sorted through a flotilla of 40-man roster decisions and the MLB payroll, which principally thanks to Patrick Corbin coming off of it, will be one of the lowest in baseball entering this winter.

Today, we are going to dip our toes in the waters of free agency to bolster the bullpen because as much talent as there suddenly is in that oeuvre close to the majors, a team hoping to contend for a playoff spot is not going to have six of its eight slots filled with minimum-salary types. After that, we will examine the deepest farm system that the Nats have ever had and start figuring out how to use some of that depth to swing a trade that will fill one of the bigger holes on the roster.

Free Agency, Part One

Let's upgrade the bullpen first. That is a young, inexperienced, and potentially volatile group, with only Kyle Finnegan and Derek Law beyond their pre-arbitration years. Both of them are fairly combustible (Finnegan gives up more hard contact than virtually any pitcher in the majors without being an elite strikeout guy, and Law has allowed an insane number of inherited runners to score this year). The easiest thing to do here is look for a veteran free agent who can step right into a setup role, has the ability and experience to close when necessary (but isn't as expensive as a "proven closer"), and preferably doesn't give up lots of walks or home runs. Sounds like a tough find, no?

What if I told you I just described Yimi (pronounced Jimmy) García, recently acquired by Seattle from the Blue Jays? Over 160 innings in the past three seasons, García has pitched to a 3.38 ERA and 1.069 WHIP while striking out 182 batters. Rare for a reliever, he has a six-pitch mix (four-seamer, curve, sinker, sweeper, changeup, slider, although that last one is barely used) that has made him effective against hitters from both sides of the plate throughout his career (.217/.265/.359 vs. RHB, .220/.287/.425 vs. LHB). He's wrapping up a three-year, $16 million contract this season and turns 34 next Sunday in the midst of what is something of a career year for him; I would shoot for somewhere between 2/$14 and 3/$18 - we will sign him for the latter figure and boost the 2025 payroll to $100.35M. That gives the bullpen three true veteran relievers and makes it easier to gradually work in the likes of Zach Brzykcy, José A. Ferrer, Orlando Ribalta, and possibly Jackson Rutledge into higher-leverage roles for the future.

Prospect Capital