Nationals Buy Low on Another Bullpen Arm by Signing Former Mets Reliever
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The Washington Nationals didn't completely overhaul their bullpen this offseason like fans might have hoped following a year where that unit finished with the worst ERA in the majors.
Instead, the front office added arms on the margins, using waiver claims and minor league signings to bring new pitchers into the fold. So far, the returns haven't been great. The Nationals enter Friday with an ERA of 4.90, which ranks them No. 23 in the MLB. However, the relief staff is also coming off a series against the New York Mets where they allowed just one run across three games, so there is hope that things have started to turn around.
But president of baseball operations Paul Toboni won't turn down an opportunity to add another arm. And according to Will Sammon of The Athletic, Washington has signed former Mets reliever Max Kranick to contract pending a physical.
Nationals Buy Low With Addition of Max Kranick
Kranick is an intriguing addition for the Nationals. The right-hander posted an ERA of 3.65 and an ERA+ of 112 last season across his 24 appearances before he underwent flexor tendon surgery. While his strikeout rate was a measly 16.9%, his walk rate was an incredible 3.4%, which could serve Washington well in the future if he still has that level of control when he returns to the mound.
The 28-year-old doesn't have a high pedigree. He was drafted in the 11th round by the Pittsburgh Pirates back in 2016 and he didn't make his major league debut until 2021. Then, following nine starts that season and two relief appearances the following one, Kranick underwent Tommy John surgery that kept him on the shelf for almost the entire 2023 campaign.
Now, following his second major procedure, there are questions about how he might perform. The good news is that Kranick was an above-average arm coming off Tommy John, so he might be able to duplicate that for a second time. And for the Nationals, this is a buy-low signing that's worth taking.
When Could Max Kranick Make His Nationals Debut?
If Kranick passes his physical to make this signing official -- and if he is able to perform well enough in the minors for Washington to call him up -- then he likely won't make his team debut until the second half of the season.
Despite the righty throwing for teams in January of this year as he was auditioning for a new home, he will likely need to go through some sort of throwing program before getting reps with their minor league affiliates. Then, once the team feels like he's healthy, that's when he could be in the mix for a callup to The Show.
The addition of Kranick won't be an immediate boon for the Nationals and their relief staff. But by buying low on him at this stage of the season, he could be featured in the bullpen at some point in the second half of the campaign if everything goes well before then.
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Brad Wakai graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Journalism. While an undergrad, he worked at the student radio station covering different Penn State athletic programs like football, basketball, volleyball, soccer and other sports. Brad became the Lead Contributor for Nittany Lions Wire of Gannett Media where he continued to cover Penn State athletics. Currently, Brad is the Publisher for Washington Nationals On SI and covers multiple teams across the On SI network. He is the host of the sports podcast I Said What I Said, where he and his co-host discuss topics across the NFL, College Football, the NBA and other sports. You can follow him on Twitter: @bwakai