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Nationals looking to make offseason deals

By Bill Pivetz

Sep 23, 2015; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals relief pitcher Jonathan Papelbon (58) walks through the dugout after being ejected form the game for hitting Baltimore Orioles third baseman Manny Machado (not pictured) with a pitch during the ninth inning at Nationals Park. Baltimore Orioles defeated Washington Nationals 4-3. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 23, 2015; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals relief pitcher Jonathan Papelbon (58) walks through the dugout after being ejected form the game for hitting Baltimore Orioles third baseman Manny Machado (not pictured) with a pitch during the ninth inning at Nationals Park. Baltimore Orioles defeated Washington Nationals 4-3. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports /
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After a late-season collapse, the Washington Nationals are making calls.

Entering the 2015 season, the Washington Nationals were the favorite to win the National League East. Compared to the rest of the NL East, they had the pitching and hitting to win at least 90 games. The team was in the top half in runs scored, hits, RBI and batting average and won 96 games in 2014. This season, however, was a complete meltdown. As a result, the front office is looking to make some big changes as they prepare for the 2016 season.

The problem lies within the Nationals bullpen. The 2015 season began fine, with Drew Storen as the closer. In 65 games last year, he had a 2-1 record with 11 saves, a 1.12 ERA and 0.98 WHIP. From April 8 to July 29 of this year, 39 games, he had 29 saves with a 1.69 ERA and 0.99 WHIP.

Yet, for some reason, Washington management decided to bring in veteran Jonathan Papelbon to be the team’s closer. And that’s where trouble began, on and off the field.

Papelbon was fine in the first half of the 2015 season with the Philadelphia Phillies. He had 17 saves, a 1.59 ERA and 0.98 WHIP; very similar numbers to Storen. But, when he went to the Nation’s capital, both he and Storen fell apart. From July 30 to the end of the season, Storen had a 7.13 ERA. Papelbon had a 3.04 ERA.

Then, there was the off-field stuff. We all remember when Papelbon grabbed Bryce Harper by the neck and slammed him into the dugout wall. Surprisingly, or not, this wasn’t Papelbon’s first outburst. And it looks like the Nationals are moving on from the Papelbon experiment.

The team is looking to trade both Papelbon and Storen. The latter might be easier to trade, mostly for financial reasons. Part of the Papelbon deal was to give up his $13 million option in exchange for a $11 million guarantee for 2016. There are very few teams that will be willing to take on that kind of contract, so the Nationals might have to eat most of that.

Regardless of what happens, the Nationals are going to be a team everyone keeps their eyes on this offseason. We couldn’t keep our eyes off of them in 2015, for good and bad reasons, and 2016 might be more of the same.

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