2 weeks Ago
As the Washington Nationals seek improvements this season, they are more than likely still a couple of years from contending. This winter, the Nationals were fairly active in both free agency and the trade market to try and make some short-term improvements to the team. After winning just 71 games in each of the last two years, the franchise clearly wanted to see some better results in the win column.
So far, Washington has shown some promise of improvement, but they play in a very challenging division and are still not quite ready. However, with some arms emerging in the starting rotation and some bats looking good in the lineup, there is reason to be optimistic about the future. One major weakness for the most part for the team has been the bullpen.
With one of the highest bullpen ERAs in baseball, there isn’t a lot to like about the unit currently. However, one pitcher who has performed well was their All-Star closer from last campaign. Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report recently wrote about Nationals closer Kyle Finnegan being one of the top potential trade targets come this summer.
“Still, go ahead and take it to the bank that there will be at least one contender desperately searching in late July for someone capable of locking things down in the ninth inning 85 percent of the time," he wrote. It has been a strange period for Finnegan with the Nationals. In 2024, he had a great first half of the season and was named to the All-Star team.
However, a brutal second half resulted in a lot of blown saves and an ERA over 5.00. This winter, Washington elected to non-tender his contract, which made him a free agent.
Despite being an All-Star, the market for Finnegan seemed to be quiet, and he, oddly enough, re-signed with the Nationals. There was a lot of debate about whether Washington should have traded the closer last summer, but they elected to hold on to him. That looked like a massive mistake after his struggles in the second half, but the team might be getting a second chance.
This campaign, he has totaled a 1.86 ERA and nine saves for the bullpen. While most others have struggled, it has been Finnegan who has led the way.
Now, if the Nationals fall out of contention like they are expected to, they would be wise to trade him if he continues to pitch at a high level. An All-Star caliber relief pitcher could warrant quite a return even for a rental. For a Washington team still rebuilding, that holds a lot of value.
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