Will Rafael Soriano make the Washington Nationals’ playoff roster?
By Hayden Kane
It seems unfathomable that a veteran relief pitcher with 31 saves and a 3.15 ERA this season might actually be left off the postseason roster for the Washington Nationals. That might be exactly the case with Rafael Soriano.
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For Soriano, the overall numbers do not tell the story of the pitcher’s collapse over the course of the second half of the season. He was recently removed from the closer’s role in favor of Drew Storen, and now there are rumblings that Soriano might not make Washington’s postseason roster at all.
For his part, Soriano still believes he will make it, saying: “A couple more games. I’ll be ready for the playoffs” (from the Washington Post). But it might not be that simple, as Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post notes that Soriano faces stiff competition for the final spot in the Washington bullpen from three pitchers: Jerry Blevins, Xavier Cedeno, and Blake Treinen.
Manager Matt Williams gave some indication, though hardly a guarantee, that Soriano will be in the bullpen for the playoffs. “We’ve got confidence in him,” Williams told the Washington Post. “It’s not too long ago he was considered for the all-star team. It’s not that there’s a different guy. He got a little bit out of whack mechanically and paid for it. But he’s working hard to get back to it.”
Soriano’s first and second half splits are sobering, to say the least. They also shed light on why it is a real consideration that such a big name would not be on the playoff roster.
- 1st Half: 37 IP, 0.97 ERA, 22 saves
- 2nd Half: 23 IP, 6.65 ERA, 9 saves
This is a bottom-line business, of course, especially for a team that faces as much pressure this postseason as the Nationals. Soriano still has an important week in front of him to prove that he belongs in the Washington bullpen.
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