Four suggestions to help the Nats bullpen
There likely isn't a major makeover in the works, but there are a few things the Nationals could do to get more out of their relief corps
Wednesday’s meltdown in San Francisco brought back some haunting memories for any Nationals fan who has endured through plenty of bad bullpens over the years and now had to experience the biggest blown lead in franchise history.
Indeed, the 2026 version of the Nats bullpen felt like an appropriate unit to give up 10 runs over the game’s final two innings for the first time ever. But as manager Blake Butera pointed out moments after that 11-10 loss to the previously inept Giants, this actually felt out of character for a relief corps that had made real strides in recent weeks.
“They swung the bats like I’ve never seen the last two innings of the game,” he said. “But our bullpen’s been really good lately, and at the end of the day we’re going to continue to trust those guys and ask them to attack hitters.”
It may not have felt like it in the moment, but Butera was right. Over their previous 20 games, Nationals relievers had produced a 3.49 ERA, ranking in the top half of the majors. This after ranking at the bottom of the pile through the first 48 games with a 5.05 ERA.
Improved or not, there are still some valid concerns about the bullpen as currently constructed. A few arms have begun to establish themselves as trusted late-inning options, but several others are being used in those situations despite little-to-no track record. The group sorely lacks a reliable left-hander. And one of its most-successful members remains a long man who often isn’t available because of recent usage.
Butera and president of baseball operations Paul Toboni surely thought about all that on their long flight home from San Francisco. And perhaps we’ll see some changes when the team takes the field again Friday night against the Mariners.
Here, though, are a few suggestions to help get the most out of a still-flawed relief corps. (And, no, this isn’t a plea to trade for an experienced closer or setup man. That’s not happening in mid-June, and it may not happen at all this summer unless the front office decides to reverse course and “go for it” in year one of the new regime.)
