Newly-Signed Washington Nationals Pitcher Given Opportunity To Earn Starting Role

The newest addition for the Washington Nationals will have the opportunity to earn a starting role this spring.

Jul 17, 2022; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo looks onto the field prior to the game between the Washington Nationals and the Atlanta Braves at Nationals Park | James A. Pittman-Imagn Images

The Washington Nationals made team history when they signed Shinnosuke Ogasawara.

It was the first time this franchise has landed a player directly from Asia, and considering all the talent that has come over in recent years, it's as good of a time as any to start increasing their footprint overseas.

The Nationals inked him to a two-year, $3.5 million deal.

It's not a huge of commitment by any means, but it does signal the left-hander factors into their plans on some level, whether that is this season or the following.

But, with a crowded rotation already that has other young pitchers on standby, what exactly does Washington envision for Ogasawara?

According to Mike Rizzo, they view him as a starter.

"We signed him to be a starting pitcher for us in the big leagues," he said per Mark Zuckerman of MASN.

That is interesting on the surface because the Nationals brought back Trevor Williams on a two-year deal and added veteran Michael Soroka for this campaign. Behind ace MacKenzie Gore, there is Jake Irvin, Mitchell Parker and DJ Herz. In the pipeline they have Cade Cavalli and Josiah Gray.

It's crowded.

This is why Ogasawara was expected to potentially be a bullpen option for them when the announcement of his signing was first made, but Rizzo made it clear they're giving the Japanese national an opportunity to earn a starting spot.

"Of course, he'll have to earn that spot in the rotation. I think there's going to be great competition for the five spots in the rotation by some good, young, talented players. If he's not ready for the big leagues, then we could always option him to Triple-A and bring him up sometime during the season. But we anticipate him battling out for a rotation spot, and I think it's going to be a fun competition to watch," he added.

It seems like only one spot is up for grabs.

Parker, Herz and Ogasawara will battle it out to be the fifth option since both Williams and Soroka were told they'd be starters upon signing their contracts.

There's a good chance Washington has their new addition begin his career in the minors, adding his name to the list of standbys who would be called up in case of injury or poor performance.

But it's not as cut-and-dried as it initially seemed.

The Nationals are going to have a huge competition for that final starting spot during the spring, and Ogasawara will be given a chance to win it.