Where Can the Nationals Find a Closer?

A look at what the market still has to offer.

We’re starting to get the first sound bytes from Spring Training, and some interesting ones emerged on Thursday from both Davey Martinez and Mike Rizzo concerning the Nationals’ closer situation.

In an article for MASN, Mark Zuckerman captured the following sentiments from the two Nats leaders:

From Davey Martinez:

“Yeah, definitely for me it’s going to be hopefully somebody that can pitch in the back end of the bullpen,” Martinez said. “That’s kind of what we’re looking for. We feel like we have guys right now. I know I dabbled a little bit with Ferrer pitching in September, in that ninth inning. We got Jorge López, who I think could really fill a void. And we got some other guys, like Law, that’s going to do fine. We do like Poche; he has pitched close games before. But I know that we are definitely looking for somebody that can pitch in the back end of the bullpen.”

And from Mike Rizzo:

“We’ve been talking to Finnegan throughout the offseason.” As for why a reunion hasn’t happened yet? “It takes two to tango.”

While neither quote screams that the Nationals will add a closer, let alone anyone specific, it’s clear the club is at least open to and possibly even actively scouring the market for an opportunity to add another late-inning arm.

So if that’s the case, where should they look?

The Obvious Option: Kyle Finnegan

The most obvious option is a reunion with Kyle Finnegan. In a five-year stretch where so many players have come and gone, Finnegan has been the lone constant, making at least 25 appearances every year since 2020 and posting a sub-4 ERA in every season. He stepped into the closer role in 2021, and is now just 8 saves away from passing Drew Storen for second in franchise history (and 14 away from 100 in his career). In case you’re curious, he’s also 41 away from passing Chad Cordero as the team’s all-time leader.

Because he hasn’t been part of glory days Nats teams like Sean Doolittle, Tyler Clippard, or other beloved Nats relievers, Finnegan may never be grouped in with the greatest Nationals relievers of all time. But even though he’s been plagued by bouts of inconsistency, Finnegan’s quietly become one of the better pitchers in franchise history. And while he may not be the elite shutdown presence fans want at the back of the bullpen, he’d certainly provide stability for a club that has several question marks in its relief corps at the moment.

Zuckerman’s report says that Finnegan is still seeking a deal worth $8-9 million, which is more than he would have received had the Nationals simply tendered him a contract. It’s also unclear how personally Finnegan took the non-tendering and whether that would have an impact on a potential reunion.

But the fit makes too much sense for both sides not to figure something out. Hopefully they will.

Other Free Agent Closers: David Robertson and Craig Kimbrel

The other two closers on the market are Craig Kimbrel and David Robertson. Kimbrel is one of the greatest closers of all time, but Robertson has the more recent track record of success.

Robertson has posted an ERA of 3.03 or below in each of the last three seasons, including an even 3.00 clip last year with an even more impressive 2.65 FIP and 132 ERA+. While he’s been less of true closer (20 or fewer saves each of the last three seasons), Robertson’s seen ninth inning action each season, including for a 2022 Phillies club that won the National League pennant. It’s unclear what his asking price is, but it’s presumably somewhere in the ballpark of the $10-million that Kenley Jansen got from the Los Angeles Angeles earlier this week.

Onto Kimbrel, it’s strange to be having a discussion about needing a closer and suggesting he’s not the obvious choice. Nationals fans watched Kimbrel rise to greatness during his years in Atlanta, and then again in a resurgent All-Star 2023 season with the Phillies in 2023.

But the potential Hall of Fame was bumped from his closing spot in Baltimore last year after blowing six saves and posting an unsightly 5.33 ERA.

It wasn’t as bad as it looked, however. His strikeout numbers (12.6 K/9) were still in line with his career numbers (14.1), and FIP suggested his ERA should’ve been closer to 4.18. That doesn’t jump off the charts, but for a Nationals bullpen with no players currently projected to post a 10+ K/9 rate, it would give a much-needed source of strikeouts and at least the potential to watch an all-timer regain the stronger form he showed in 2022-2023.

The story of Kimbrel’s fall from grace in Baltimore came from a difficult three-month stretch from July through September. After giving up just two home runs and eight total runs in his first 34 appearances, Kimbrel gave up five homers and a whopping 23 runs in his final 23 appearances as an Orioles.

Even amidst those struggles, Kimbrel still managed 3.49 ERA in 31 games away from Camden Yards last year and strung together 23 total saves, so there’s reason to believe he can bounce back with a change of scenery. Robertson and Finnegan both stand out as more appealing options, but Kimbrel’s at least a more intriguing dart throw than his surface numbers might suggest.

Non-Closers: Phil Maton, Adam Ottavino, Kendall Graveman

A ninth-inning option is obviously the most preferable route, but the Nationals could still bolster their late-inning mix even without adding a true closer.

Phil Maton stands out as arguably the most appealing option from the non-closer free agent mix. The 32-year-old has at least one save in each of the last two seasons, has been reliable for over 60 innings in each of the last four, and found another gear after being traded to the Mets last July, pitching to a 2.58 ERA in 31 appearances.

Between last year’s playoff push in Queens and stints with Houston and Cleveland, Maton’s been a part of clubs that made the postseason in all but one season since 2020, so he brings both strong production and another voice in the locker room that knows how to win.

Adam Ottavino is another recent Met with several playoff appearances under his belt. The longtime Rockie saw his ERA take a step back in each of his three years in New York, but has logged saves in six of the last seven seasons and finished 45 games from 2023-2024. FIP (3.64) suggests the 39-year-old’s 4.34 ERA last year was a product of some bad luck.

The New York City native could very well be holding out for a reunion in Flushing or a deal with the crosstown Yankees, but while he’s not the flashiest addition, he’d add another veteran voice to a very young Nats relief corps.

While there are several other names that could fit the bill, Kendall Graveman is the third that stands out most. The 34-year-old missed 2024 recovering from shoulder surgery, but most recently pitched to a very strong 3.12 ERA with the White Sox and Astros in 2023 with eight saves. If you want to know what kind the Astros thought of having Graveman in the organization, they liked him enough to trade for him at the 2021 and 2023 deadlines, so it’s a safe bet he’d be a welcome addition in the Nationals clubhouse.

Again, once you start looking at non-closers there are easily a dozen names that could fit the bill here. Zuckerman reported that there’s potentially mutual interest in a reunion with still-unsigned Jacob Barnes, Dylan Floro is also still out there and could be a candidate to be brought back, and other well-known names like Andrew Chafin, Joe Kelly, and Luke Jackson are also still without a club.

The bottom line is that with so many options, the Nationals have no excuse not to further fortify the bullpen in some capacity, even if a true closer isn’t in the cards.