Nationals Must Shake Up Struggling Bullpen
After another late-game collapse, it’s clear the Washington Nationals can no longer stick with the status quo in their bullpen.
In what might have been their most frustrating loss of the season, the Nats once again fell victim to familiar issues—baserunning blunders, including a puzzling stolen base attempt by Keibert Ruiz—but the bullpen remains the biggest concern.
MacKenzie Gore gave the Nationals a fighting chance, going six innings and surrendering four runs in a tough-luck outing. The team was only down 4-3 when Jorge López entered in the seventh. However, things unraveled quickly. By the end of the eighth, the Nats were trailing 11-3.
López, who had been mostly reliable until now, gave up a three-run homer to Matt Mervis. His decreased velocity this season is something worth watching. But the real red flag is Lucas Sims, who once again failed to compete. Sims gave up two hits, walked three, and allowed four runs, inflating his ERA to a staggering 12.79. His continued struggles suggest it’s time for the Nationals to move on.
Reliever Cole Henry looked far more effective in relief, and it’s time the team gave more opportunities to younger arms. With Sims clearly not the answer, giving prospects a shot could provide fresh energy to a bullpen that desperately needs it.
Waiver pickups like Hunter Harvey and Robert Garcia have shown that effective bullpen pieces can come from unexpected places. Unfortunately, Washington’s current crop of relievers isn’t getting it done, even with more experience than their Marlins counterparts.
This points back to another offseason failure by GM Mike Rizzo, who once again did not put together a reliable bullpen. Historically, even during the team’s best years, the bullpen has often required in-season fixes.
Right now, aside from Kyle Finnegan, no reliever should feel secure. The Nationals need to look both within and outside the organization to find better options.
The current state of the bullpen also creates opportunities—players like Jackson Rutledge and Cole Henry, who haven’t found success as starters, now have a shot to prove themselves in relief roles.
The bottom line: the bullpen has been a problem since the season began. It’s time for change. That change could not only address a glaring weakness but also give fresh faces a chance to carve out roles at the big-league level. The likes of Lucas Sims and Colin Poche should be replaced by younger, hungrier talent ready to seize the moment.
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