Early in spring training, as the new Washington Nationals coaching staff acquainted themselves with a clubhouse that looked largely the same as in years past, they gathered for a team meeting.
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The staff came to an agreement: The outside noise, which predicted that the team would be at the bottom of the National League East once again, didn’t matter. The players were tired of critics referring to them as a rebuilding team. The coaching staff thought the talent the team inherited, with the addition of a few bargain signings, was better than the numbers showed.
And for parts of this season, the Nationals have played like that. At 48-49, they have their best record at the all-star break since 2019. They’re tied with the Pittsburgh Pirates for the MLB lead in runs scored, 516, and their 138 home runs rank them second, behind the New York Yankees.
Individual players, from such stars as James Wood and CJ Abrams to staple Luis García Jr. and under-the-radar pickup Curtis Mead, have taken significant steps this season. Six players have matched or exceeded career highs in home runs, with Wood on track to join them soon. He has 28, which is three shy of his career high.
Foster Griffin, signed after three years in Japan, has pitched his way to his first all-star selection. His 2.77 ERA is the 13th-lowest in MLB. Cade Cavalli, the Nationals’ Opening Day starter and the pitcher they see as their future ace, has shown some bright spots in his first full season after a winding path. He has a 3.83 ERA.
They’ve come back from tough losses, which have been all too common, and they’re four games out of a wild-card spot.
“This group’s gone through a lot in just a short half of the season,” Manager Blake Butera said. “They just seem to bounce back and turn the page, and it’s not easy to do that. There were many points this year where people could say, ‘Oh, this is where things go downhill. This is the type of loss where things go downhill.’ And it’s like the next day or the day after that — right back to winning.”
There’s a lot to be happy about. But there’s also a lot to be concerned about.
A dark cloud remains over the positives that have come out of the first half of the season. No matter how big a lead the offense gives them, it often isn’t enough for the bullpen.
There was the eight-run advantage they gave up in San Francisco, where the Nationals lost on a walk-off grand slam. There were the three games in a row against the Philadelphia Phillies, when the Nationals either had the lead or were tied in the ninth inning, only for the bullpen to blow the game. And there’s, of course, the most recent series, where the Nationals tried three different strategies to keep the New York Yankees at bay — and still nothing worked as the Yankees swept.
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To their credit, Butera and his staff have tried nearly everything. They’ve sent out a journeyman with a career ERA over 15, just because that’s what the analytics told them to do. They’ve used their best arms at moments that the numbers wouldn’t agree with, seeing whether a feel for the game can change things. It didn’t. On Sunday, they tried not to use the bullpen at all, instead stacking two starters on top of each other. That failed, too.
They’ve churned through the waiver market, called up underperforming arms from Class AAA, and given nearly every reliever a chance in the ninth inning. None of them have proved they are capable of handling it consistently.
What else can the Nationals do? That’s a question Butera said will consume his break. There might be slight relief (pardon the pun) when Richard Lovelady and Brad Lord return from the injured list. Adding Jake Irvin and Trevor Williams back to the rotation also could give the option to stack starters more often or move someone like Andrew Alvarez to the bullpen.
Overall, there may not be much Butera can do. The front office, though, has other options. Paul Toboni, the president of baseball operations, said he has questioned Butera’s decision not to sign any relievers to major league contracts last offseason. The Nationals spent money on the coaching staff, technology and player development instead. That has all paid dividends.
Now, Toboni has the power to make up for that. With the Aug. 3 trade deadline approaching, the front office can try to improve that struggling unit. Even a few non-flashy pitchers can make a real difference.
“The fact that we are talking about whether we’re going to be buyers or sellers at the deadline shows a lot,” Butera said.
But is it enough to just be talking about it? Or will the Nationals show that they are finally ready to go for it?
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That remains to be seen.
