2018 bullpen

[OldChelsea]

What bullpen?

[mitlen]

What bullpen?

    With that chuckle, I'm goin' for my walk with a smile on my face.    Thanks OC.

[imref]

amazingly, this bullpen appears to be worse than last year's.

[NatsAllThe Way]

Man, what a nightmare.

[GburgNatsFan]

amazingly, this bullpen appears to be worse than last year's.

Right? Who would have thought it?

[NatsAllThe Way]

This is the bullpen thread, so it should focus on the Nats terrible bullpen.  But outside of this thread, there are other threads that should be created for the Nats disastrous inability to string together more than one hit.  Our offence is burning apocalypse...

...  but back to the bullpen:




In fact, I've decided to change my avatar to the burning tire dump because, don't forget everyone... this season is supposed to be our last chance.  Close your eyes and imagine this inept offence, think about in your mind's eye...  picture it.   

Now remove Bryce Harper from it.

 

We're so screwed.

[mitlen]

In fact, I've decided to change my avatar to the burning tire dump because, don't forget everyone... this season is supposed to be our last chance.  Close your eyes and imagine this inept offence, think about in your mind's eye...  picture it.   

Now remove Bryce Harper from it.

 

We're so screwed.

Now, this is a fire:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centralia_mine_fire

[NatsAllThe Way]

Now, this is a fire:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centralia_mine_fire

Since 1962.  That's something special, our bullpen's only been a disaster for like 6 years.

[Expos]

This is the bullpen thread, so it should focus on the Nats terrible bullpen.  But outside of this thread, there are other threads that should be created for the Nats disastrous inability to string together more than one hit.  Our offence is burning apocalypse...

...  but back to the bullpen:




In fact, I've decided to change my avatar to the burning tire dump because, don't forget everyone... this season is supposed to be our last chance.  Close your eyes and imagine this inept offence, think about in your mind's eye...  picture it.   

Now remove Bryce Harper from it.

 

We're so screwed.

To be fair we are without our two most consistent hitters in Rendon and Murphy and a guy we hoped would be a big part of our team in Eaton.

Not many teams would hit with 3 key starters out.

Our bullpen now, that's a whole other story.

[Baseball is Life]

The bullpen is awful because the Nats offense can't score so the defense is on the field way too long.

[varoadking]

This is the bullpen thread, so it should focus on the Nats terrible bullpen.  But outside of this thread, there are other threads that should be created for the Nats disastrous inability to string together more than one hit.  Our offence is burning apocalypse...

...  but back to the bullpen:




In fact, I've decided to change my avatar to the burning tire dump because, don't forget everyone... this season is supposed to be our last chance.  Close your eyes and imagine this inept offence, think about in your mind's eye...  picture it.   

Now remove Bryce Harper from it.

 

We're so screwed.

Diggin' the tire fire...borrowed it myself.  Didn't even have to change the message under the avatar.

[LoveAngelos]

Collins and Adams on merit should have been on the 25 coming out of spring training. But because of lack of options and guaranteed money they took two sway back horses in the form of Solis and Grace along with Cole who was never was a horse.
It will help now that Adams is up and Cole won't be in the pen much less start but I hope Benoit never come off the DL

[Expos]

Kelly allows a HR.

It would be nice if one of our relievers could come in without allowing a run.

[imref]

Last year it was “The Law Firm.”  This year, it’s “Diarrhea” because they always have the runs.

[NatsAllThe Way]

Last year it was “The Law Firm.”  This year, it’s “Diarrhea” because they always have the runs.

So this year's trade deadline bullpen arms we'll name IMODIUM, because they will stop the runs.  But by then it'll be too late.

[bluestreak]

Is Koda Glover dead?

[welch]

Is Koda Glover dead?

Who?

[dcpatti]

Is Koda Glover dead?

Doesn't matter much if he isn't, 'cause he's on the 60-day DL so the earliest he'd be back would be Memorial Day.

Wander Suero is off the DL which is helpful. His first inning back was not good (3ER on 3 hits and 2 walks or something like that) but his subsequent outing was a lot better (retired the side in order).  Expect to see him in DC soon (I wonder if they'd make him go all the way to Cali just to turn around and head back east the next day).

[DPMOmaha]

You have to wonder if this is how it ends for Kelley. He may try to make it back, but I can't think he'll let this go on much longer. Too bad, seems like a genuinely good guy.

[Monarch]

Lets assume that Kelley is on the DL for a while. Is it too early to make a trade for a clear upgrade or do we just pull guys from the minors and hope for the best?

[DPMOmaha]

Lets assume that Kelley is on the DL for a while. Is it too early to make a trade for a clear upgrade or do we just pull guys from the minors and hope for the best?

Both. If you can find a trade that clearly improves the pen, you do it, but there probably aren't a ton of teams ready to pull the plug on the season just yet. I doubt you see that before Memorial Day. Find out what you've got in Suero and Adams, get Glover back and healthy, though you're at the point where you wonder if that ever will happen, and then you should have a pretty good idea of how much work you really need to do on the trade market.

[welch]

Lets assume that Kelley is on the DL for a while. Is it too early to make a trade for a clear upgrade or do we just pull guys from the minors and hope for the best?

I'm not sure the Nats have the players to trade away. In the minors, the top three are untouchable. The rest won't bring much. The Nats are starting backups at 2B and 3B, and LF has the backup to the backup.

This is a big problem.

[dcpatti]

Lets assume that Kelley is on the DL for a while. Is it too early to make a trade for a clear upgrade or do we just pull guys from the minors and hope for the best?

This early in the season, even the obvious sellers aren't selling, so working a trade right now would be difficult and probably lopsided.

That said, a lot of bullpen heartache can be smoothed over with offense, so if one of Eaton or Rendon is back in the next week or so, the pen gets some breathing room, and if you can get Goodwin back, that makes things even better.

[GburgNatsFan]

I wonder if it's better to assume he's done. Is there a limit to the number of players you can have on long term DL?

Lets assume that Kelley is on the DL for a while. Is it too early to make a trade for a clear upgrade or do we just pull guys from the minors and hope for the best?

[dcpatti]

I wonder if it's better to assume he's done. Is there a limit to the number of players you can have on long term DL?

I think with Kelley's history, the outlook is not good, which is a shame. He seems like a genuinely likeable guy.

There is no limit to the number of players you can have on the DL, but there will come a time that the Nats want to get his money off the books (assuming this is the end of the line), since payroll on the DL counts towards the luxury tax, and Kelley's $5 million would represent a nice little bucket to play with. I would expect the Nats to DFA Kelley, and for him to clear waivers, and for the Nats to assign him to a minor league contract, much like they did with Aaron Barrett; either way, the Nats will end up giving him the money left on his contract, but an outright release of a popular teammate that is currently dealing with a major injury is not a recipe for a happy clubhouse.  The Nats' handling of Barrett, as well as Bryan Harper, has been pretty stand-up (giving those guys contracts in free agent years despite a 0% chance that either would throw a single pitch in the course of that year, essentially giving each of them an opportunity to get paid while they rehab) and I think buys them a lot of goodwill (plus at least with Harper, there's the chance at getting a solid lefty reliever AND a gold star with his little brother).