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Any discussion of the Nationals’ top offseason needs has to begin with proven hitter to anchor the heart of the lineup (preferably a power-hitting first baseman) and a proven starting pitcher to take some pressure off the club’s promising young arms.
Don’t overlook the need for more bullpen help, though, because this team could certainly use it.
The Nats’ relief corps ranked last in the majors this season in both ERA (5.59) and WHIP (1.522). That’s not a distinction anyone wants to claim, certainly not the new administration that has taken over baseball operations.
The strange aspect of this particular situation? The Nationals actually have several intriguing young relievers who performed well this season. They just don’t have enough to fill out the entire bullpen.
New president of baseball operations Paul Toboni could do a lot worse than a core trio of Jose A. Ferrer, Cole Henry and Clayton Beeter. Throw in PJ Poulin and perhaps Brad Lord (if he’s not in the rotation), and that’s five possible arms to build around.
Ferrer had long been touted as a future high-leverage weapon, and the 25-year-old left-hander finally got the chance to prove it. Inconsistent as a setup man through the season’s first half, he stepped up big-time once thrust into the closer’s role after Kyle Finnegan was traded to Detroit.
From Aug. 6-Sept. 9, Ferrer made 14 appearances, all but one of them coming in the eighth or ninth inning, all but two of them coming in games the Nats won. He went 2-0, was a perfect 8-for-8 in save opportunities, struck out 14, walked only two and most importantly did not allow a single run to cross the plate. He did falter down the stretch, scored upon in five of his final six outings, which may well have been a product of physical and mental fatigue at the end of a season in which he made 72 appearances and faced 324 batters.
Whether the new front office views Ferrer as the closer heading into Opening Day or merely part of the late-inning equation remains to be seen. But he’ll likely be paired with two young right-handers who impressed in their respective rookie seasons.
Henry was one of the most pleasant developments of the year, not only proving he could pitch at the big league level after a minor league career filled with injuries, but proving he could be a reliable late-inning reliever after starting his entire life to that point.
The 26-year-old righty surrendered runs in only one of his first 20 MLB appearances, climbing the bullpen depth chart along the way to become one of Finnegan’s primary setup men and even an emergency closer twice later in the season. He, too, faded some down the stretch of a long year and wound up on the injured list with a minor back ailment that shouldn’t affect him in 2026.
Beeter (acquired from the Yankees in the Amed Rosario deal) arrived after the trade deadline and impressed in 24 appearances over those final two months. With a devastating slider, he surrendered only eight hits in 21 2/3 innings while striking out 32. The only red flag: 14 walks, a product of poor fastball command, which he’ll need to improve to become a consistent weapon for the team.
The Nationals have long struggled to develop their own relievers, especially left-handers. Ferrer finally broke through this year, and Poulin could prove to be an unexpected revelation as well after the club claimed him off waivers from the Tigers. The 29-year-old doesn’t have elite stuff, but he still struck out 27 batters in only 24 2/3 innings, posting a 3.65 ERA. Konnor Pilkington did show better stuff, including a fastball that regularly reached 97 mph, but will need to cut down on his 5.4 walks per nine innings to stick long-term.
The most fascinating pitching question the new front office and coaching staff faces may involve Lord, who split his rookie season between the rotation and bullpen. The right-hander was more effective as a reliever (2.79 ERA, 1.164 WHIP) than as a starter (4.99 ERA, 1.348 WHIP), but do the Nats have enough rotation depth at this point to be able to afford making him a full-time reliever?
A lack of bullpen depth was a major undoing for the 2025 Nationals. A staggering 10 pitchers who made at least 10 relief appearances finished with an ERA over 5.75, and seven of those finished with an ERA over 7.00 (Eduardo Salazar, Orlando Ribalta, Zach Brzykcy, Lucas Sims, Mason Thompson, Ryan Loutos and Colin Poche). Of that group, only Ribalta remains on the 40-man roster. So does Jackson Rutledge, whose 5.77 ERA looked respectable compared to the rest but nevertheless struggled mightily throughout his first full MLB season.
The Nats got a quick look in late-September at two more in-season acquisitions (Sauryn Lao and Julian Fernandez). Either or both could figure into the picture, but neither has come close to proving himself yet.
