Sunday afternoon, the Washington Nationals lost their 74th game of the season to the Philadelphia Phillies, while most were watching the poor on-field product, behind the scenes, the front office made yet another bullpen acquisition.

Julian Fernández, a 29-year-old reliever from the Dominican Republic, was claimed off waivers by the Nationals from the Los Angeles Dodgers—the second pitcher to be claimed off waivers this month and the third this year. 

Since Interim General Manager Mike DeBartolo took over baseball operations on July 7, the Nationals have made five pitching acquisitions via trades, waiver claims, and free agent signings. Excluding four minor leaguers who came over at the trade deadline, who have little to no chance at all of being with the big league club this season, the Nats have been busy, trying anything they can to fix the bullpen.

Other than Fernandez, the Nats claimed PJ Poulin, a 29-year-old left-handed pitcher, off waivers from the Detroit Tigers. In trades, Debartolo and Co. acquired right-handed pitcher Clayton Beeter in a two-player package from the New York Yankees in exchange for super utility player Amed Rosario. They also flipped bullpen pieces, Andrew Chafin (signed by Rizzo) and Luis Garcia, whom DeBartolo had signed earlier in July, in exchange for lefty Jake Eder from the Los Angeles Angels (currently injured and yet to debut).

Former General Manager Mike Rizzo, who was known for his inability to build a reliable bullpen during his tenure in the nation’s capital, made several attempts to address that issue this season—but with little success. He signed Lucas Sims, Colin Poche, and Jorge López, all of whom were off the roster before July 1. He also claimed Ryan Lotus off waivers from the Dodgers, but after a rough start, Lotus was optioned to Triple-A Rochester. Rizzo’s minor league signing of Konnor Pilkington hasn’t fared any better—Pilkington currently holds a 6.39 ERA in the majors. The only acquisition that showed promise was Andrew Chafin, who posted a solid 2.70 ERA over 20 innings before being traded.

Bullpen usage, matchups, and pitcher development didn’t fare well either under the old regime. Davey Martinez was ridiculed quite often during his time as manager for his bullpen management. Frequently leaning too heavily on a few arms, which at times led to injuries or declining performance. But to be fair, it often seemed like he had limited options, largely due to the roster construction under Rizzo. One thing was clear: relievers were overused and too often placed in unfavorable matchups, leading to poor development.

It’s clear that DeBartolo is aiming to right the ship by bringing modern analytics into the organization, taking calculated chances on overlooked talent, and focusing on putting pitchers in favorable matchups while helping them develop gradually during what’s become a lost season.

Julian Fernández

On paper, his MLB stats are ugly—10.80 ERA in 8.2 innings—but when you look under the hood, there is more to like. At Triple-A Oklahoma City, he posted a 3.05 ERA with a 28.7% strikeout rate and only allowed a 35.5% hard-hit rate, which is about average. His 99-102 MPH velocity is legit. Still, a low-risk, high-upside claim.

PJ Poulin

Another “project” with intriguing metrics. At Triple-A Toledo, the lefty, Poulin, had a 3.38 ERA over 42.2 innings with a 33.7% strikeout rate. Walks were an issue. In seven MLB innings with Washington, he’s posted a 2.57 ERA, though his walk rate remains high at 14.3%… he’s still striking out 25% of hitters he faces.

Since arriving in D.C., PJ Poulin has primarily been used as a lefty specialist—and the results support that strategy. In 3.1 innings against left-handed hitters, he’s held them to a .186/.286/.417 slash line. Right-handers, however, have fared better, slashing .267/.389/.333 against him in 3.2 innings. The early splits highlight the importance of using Poulin situationally, rather than as a full-inning option.

Clayton Beeter

Beeter fits the mold of the modern bullpen arm—99 MPH heat, big strikeout numbers (35.1% at Triple-A), and solid ground ball rates (52.4%). His issue? Control, reflected in his 17% walk rate. With the Nats, he’s shown flashes of dominance with a 33.3% K rate, but still walks way too many (16.7%). Beeter was first with the Dodgers in their system, then went to the Yankees in the Joey Gallo trade in 2022. Both organizations are heavily analytical-driven. It’s all about consistency with him; it will be interesting to see how the rest of his season plays out.

The new bullpen additions all share a common thread: they have swing-and-miss stuff. They can get strikeouts, generate outs, and feature strong fastballs paired with quality off-speed pitches—especially Clayton Beeter’s slider, which has a stuff+ rating of 126 (100 is league average). Whether the Nationals have the right developmental environment to unlock their full potential remains to be seen—but the tools are there. Only time will tell.

Cole Henry

Let’s start with Cole Henry. The 26-year-old LSU product underwent Thoracic Outlet Syndrome surgery in 2022—a procedure few pitchers successfully return from. But Henry has defied the odds. After missing most of 2024 with lat issues, he was moved to the bullpen in 2025 and quickly adapted to a late-inning role. “I have to stay locked in. I have to be ready. So I think just the mental side of it’s a little bit different,” Henry told MLB.com’s Jessica Camerato.

By June, Henry had posted a strong 2.14 ERA, including 14 innings in May, his busiest month of the season. Davey Martinez began to lean on him. However, Henry's performance dipped: he posted a 7.00 ERA in June and a 5.40 ERA in July. While part of this could be attributed to rookie growing pains or mechanical tweaks, the usage pattern raises questions. He threw 14 innings in May, but just 17 combined over June and July. The Nationals weren’t playing many close games during that stretch, but there still appears to be a connection between heavy early usage and declining results.

In August, Henry appears to have bounced back. He’s only logged 5.2 innings so far—suggesting a more measured workload—but he’s looked much closer to his early-season form, posting a 1.57 ERA this month.

Jose A. Ferrer

When former closer Kyle Finnegan was non-tendered this past offseason, many expected left-hander Jose A. Ferrer to step into the role. Ferrer features electric stuff—a sinker that touches triple digits, along with a sharp slider and a changeup that’s especially effective against left-handed hitters. But there’s a catch: Ferrer is still young and developing. He struggles with control, often allowing innings to spiral, and he’s had trouble getting right-handed hitters out—an issue that’s limited his reliability in high-leverage spots.

This season, Ferrer has held left-handed hitters to a .195 batting average—but right-handers are hitting a concerning .318 against him in 148 at-bats. That split isn’t new; it’s been a consistent issue throughout his career. Yet, the Nationals haven’t adjusted his pitch mix or usage to address it. Instead, they’ve continued to push him into high-leverage situations, including the closer role, based largely on his raw stuff and not matchups.

Enter DeBartolo. Since taking over on July 7, Ferrer has quietly turned a corner. While he’s still seen some time in the closer’s role, his usage has been more strategic—facing more left-handed hitters, where he thrives. In that span, he’s lowered his ERA from 5.24 to 4.45. Even more promising, his alarming .318 opponents’ batting average when ahead 0-2 is beginning to trend downward. It’s a small sample, but the early signs suggest a more analytically informed approach is finally putting Ferrer in a position to succeed.

It’s also worth noting that Ferrer possesses elite raw stuff—his pitch metrics grade out above league average across the board, with all three of his offerings rated as 100+ stuff, per most models. The tools are there. With him, it all comes down to pitch selection, command, and matchups. When those elements are managed properly, Ferrer has the potential to be a dominant late-inning arm against both sides of the plate.

Finally, the key difference between Mike Rizzo and Mike DeBartolo is found in their approach to team building and player usage. Rizzo, a scout at heart, leaned heavily on traditional evaluation methods and often overlooked modern analytics. DeBartolo, by contrast, made his vision clear during his July 8 introductory press conference: “I want to bring a fresh approach, a fresh voice to this role, and integrate more data, more technology, more innovation into our decision-making across the organization, at all levels.” This change looks to be visible right before our very eyes.