Does young, thin bullpen need veteran additions?

The Nationals’ most glaring need as we reach the four-week mark before pitchers and catchers report to spring training? It’s easy to look at the vacuum currently at first base and declare that position as priority No. 1.

But let’s not sleep on the bullpen. Or, more accurately, let’s hope the Nats aren’t sleeping on the bullpen. Because there’s a whole lot of work that still needs to be done there.

A group that already was thin on experience when the 2025 season ended no longer has its most experienced arm. Burgeoning closer Jose A. Ferrer was traded to the Mariners last month to acquire potential long-term catching solution Harry Ford.

That leaves an awfully thin relief corps now headlined by young right-handers Cole Henry and Clayton Beeter, who collectively have accrued 1 year, 129 days of major league service time.

And it’s not like the guys behind them on the depth chart have been around long themselves: left-handers Konnor Pilkington (152 days) and PJ Poulin (55 days), right-handers Jackson Rutledge (1 year, 25 days), Orlando Ribalta (1 year, 13 days), Julian Fernandez (2 years, 42 days but only 10 MLB appearances) and the just-acquired Paxton Schultz (78 days).

Those eight pitchers are the only true relievers on the Nationals’ 40-man roster. If the season began today, all would make the club, unless the front office and coaching staff wants to move a starter or two to the bullpen … which does make some sense.

We don’t know yet what the new administration has in mind for Brad Lord, Mitchell Parker and Jake Irvin, but barring injuries (or trades) there won’t be room for all of them in an Opening Day rotation that figures to include MacKenzie Gore, Cade Cavalli, Foster Griffin and Josiah Gray. DJ Herz and Trevor Williams also will be in the mix once each returns from elbow surgery.

Would Paul Toboni, Anirudh Kilambi and Blake Butera feel compelled to put Lord in the bullpen just because of the greater need there, even if they believe the right-hander has a future as a starter? We’ll have to wait and see.

There are some other young starters who could wind up pitching in relief if they make the club, headlined by Rule 5 Draft pick Griff McGarry, who was less effective as minor league reliever with the Phillies but probably isn’t going to be able to crack the Nationals’ big league rotation at this point.

There’s also young flamethrower Luis Perales, acquired from the Red Sox for Jake Bennett, who has been a starter throughout his professional career but has the raw stuff that might be awfully appealing coming out of the bullpen in shorter bursts.

Really, though, what the Nats need are a couple of proven MLB relievers who could help fill out the unit and allow the organization the luxury of not rushing any young guys who aren’t ready yet, especially those who profile as starters in the first place.

We saw former general manager Mike Rizzo take this approach last winter/spring, signing veterans Jorge López, Lucas Sims and Colin Poche in the hopes they would stabilize what looked on paper like another thin relief corps. If only any of the three had actually performed up to his previous standards instead of proving to be abject disasters that had to be released within the season’s first three months.

Can Toboni and Co. be trusted to sign comparable relievers for comparable money and actually get quality production out of them? If not, do they need to think bigger and be willing to spend more money (and maybe even guarantee more years) to bring in guys who are more of a sure thing?

One way or another, the Nationals need to do something to address this issue within the next four weeks. It’s hard to imagine they would be willing to go to spring training with this bullpen as currently constructed.