Washington Nationals Must-Watch Spring Training Battle Will Be on Mound
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One of the goals of the Washington Nationals when the offseason began was to upgrade the pitching staff.
They have an incredibly young starting rotation that could really have used a veteran presence, especially with Trevor Williams and Patrick Corbin both hitting the free-agent market to start the winter.
While no major splashes were made, general manager Mike Rizzo added an incredible amount of depth to the mix, creating what will be the biggest spring training positional battle to keep an eye on.
Williams was re-signed, agreeing to a two-year deal to return to the Nationals. The team also signed veteran Mike Soroka, and both players have been told they will be starters out of the gate in 2025.
That makes things very crowded when it comes to sorting out who will be in the starting rotation on Opening Day.
Washington has had incredible consistency with its starting pitching over the last two years. They have had only 10 different players toe the rubber in the first inning over that span, by far the least in baseball.
It hasn’t been because of a lack of injuries, as some key players have gone down. But they have done an excellent job of plugging the holes when they are created, finding young players ready to emerge and lock down roles.
In 2023, it was Jake Irvin who made the most of his opportunity. He is the closest thing for a lock to the Opening Day rotation along with MacKenzie Gore, who will very likely be taking the ball for Game 1.
With Williams and Soroka being told they will not be in the bullpen, at least at the start, that is means four out of five spots are taken.
That leaves one opening for DJ Herz, Mitchell Parker and free agent signing Shinnosuke Ogasawara.
This will be worth keeping an eye on throughout spring training, as Jessica Camerato of MLB.com picked the starting rotation battle as the team’s No. 1 storyline heading into camp.
In her opinion, if development is their No. 1 concern, Herz, Parker and Ogasawara could begin the year in Triple-A to get consistent work.
Could that be her hinting that another move is coming in free agency, such as bringing in another veteran like Andrew Heaney?
If the Nationals are going to make any additions to their pitching staff, it should come in the bullpen. They need some more experience at the back end to join Jorge Lopez, with David Robertson being a logical option.
Or maybe Cade Cavalli emerges during spring training and forces his way back into the mix at the Major League level now that he is healthy and ready to contribute again.
Washington has plenty of options to choose from, which is a good thing.
Teams can never have too much pitching, and the team has put together some remarkable depth to work with heading into camp.
