Baseball Is BACK!!! Reviewing the Nationals' moves so far

We made it! After over 90 days of infuriatingly slow progress, a new collective bargaining agreement was finally signed after only a few games were cancelled; Opening Day is set for April 7th. With this agreement, the free agency floodgates opened wide, and we were almost immediately bombarded with both blockbuster deals and under-the-radar signings. Although it has only been a few days, the Nationals have made a few moves that I'll be covering in this post. So buckle in: baseball is back!

1. Ehire Adrianza, INF/OF, Atlanta Braves

Adrianza is an interesting pickup, albeit not a high-profile one. Worth $1.5 million with more in incentives, the contract is not a hefty one; the expectation is clearly not for Adrianza to play a major role in the starting lineup. The primary allure of this signing is clearly Adrianza's versatility. He can play multiple positions in the infield and outfield, making him more of a utility bench bat; his hitting is right around league average, which makes him a very solid bench option, not to mention his above-average defense. Overall, not a bad flyer on a guy that Braves fans seemed to love; hopefully he plays a bit above expectations.

Rating: B

2. Steve Cishek, RHP, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Right off the bat, I will never argue with any relief pitchers that the Nats decide they could use. The bullpen has built up a rather notorious reputation for blowing just about every lead in sight, and any reliable, veteran arms are certainly welcome; that just happens to be exactly what Cishek brings to the table. A one-year, $1.75 million deal for a 35 year old veteran who posted a 3.42 ERA with the pitcher-starved Angels is not a bad selection whatsoever, especially considering the inconsistency that seems to plague just about every relief pitcher that we sign. The main problem I've seen with our bullpen is not the arms we bring in (although those could certainly improve), but some sort of intangible issue with the way we manage pitchers; more on that in a minute. Hopefully, Cishek proves to be a reliable mid-leverage arm out of the pen.

Rating: B+

3. Anibal Sanchez, SP, Free Agent

If you've been following the Nats for any stretch of time, you probably recognize Anibal as the reliable back-end starter that helped bring us to the World Series in 2019. I was extremely surprised to see him back with the Nationals, but not disappointed. I believe that many people view this signing as some version of the Nats trying to relive 2019, live off of veterans, etc., but I don't believe that to be the case. The risk in this signing is extremely low: the deal is, after all, a minor-league contract with an invite to Spring Training; worst case scenario, Sanchez never finds his old form, and he remains a solid veteran presence in a clubhouse full of young talent. Best case, he returns to form and proves to be a reliable inning-eating 4th or 5th starter. Maybe not the splash Nats fans were looking for, but it could be far worse.

Rating: B+

4. Nelson Cruz, DH, Tampa Bay Rays

Boomstick himself! Nelson Cruz is a revered homer-slugging DH with a strong pedigree of consistent production, even entering his age-41 season. He slugged 32 homers for the Rays last year, which just continued a long list of seasons consisting of many, many bombs, dating back as far as 2009. This deal is for 1 year, $15 million, with $12 mil of that coming in 2022, with a $3 mil mutual buyout after the 2022 season. I absolutely love this signing for a few reasons: the first and most obvious reason is that Cruz can absolutely RAKE. Can you imagine a lineup where Cruz bats behind Juan Soto? (who, incidentally, was the one who convinced him to sign with the Nats, and is also extremely excited to have him with the team? Reason no. 2: when Juan's happy, I'm happy). Not only that, but Cruz also provides veteran leadership and strong trade potential. Should either the Nationals or Cruz not play up to expectations, the Nats can flip him at the deadline for a few solid prospects from a team looking for a lockdown designated hitter/bench bat for a playoff run. Overall, I would not have expected the Nationals to make such a splash after they offloaded Max and Trea last season, but I am certainly not complaining.

Rating: A

5. Sean Doolittle

If you recognized Anibal Sanchez, you most certainly recognize Doolittle. An integral part of the Nationals bullpen during the 2019 season until he faced consistency issues due to overuse (another victim of the horrible bullpen), Doolittle was certainly not the same pitcher in 2020 as he was in 2019. Doo split 2021 with Cincinnati and Seattle, posting a mediocre mid-to-upper-4.00 ERA during his time with both clubs. Perhaps not a major splash in the market for strong bullpen arms, but I think Doolittle provides value far beyond his skillset: not only does he have the potential to return to form in a familiar setting, he is undoubtedly a fan- and clubhouse-favorite, and at the very least, Doo will provide a familiar, friendly face upon the backdrop of a likely-fruitless 2022 season. Glad to have this guy back in DC.

Rating: B

Overall, I would not have expected the Nats to make so many moves so quickly. None of these moves besides Cruz reside anywhere near high-profile, but then again, we don't exactly need high-profile moves right now. GM Mike Rizzo is doing exactly what he needs to do: provide breathing room for the young guys to develop, get used to a major league setting, and reach full potential, all while the veterans field an at-least-slightly respectable team (dare I say, potential wild card candidate, especially with the expanded 12-team field? Nah, too optimistic... but a man can dream).

Hope y'all are enjoying the return of baseball; I know I am. I'll hopefully start releasing more articles as the season ramps up, and with the summer fast approaching, posts may become much more frequent than they are now. Stay tuned!

Emory