Washington Nationals Faced With Sending Rule 5 Draft Pick Back To Tampa Bay Rays

If one of their young pitchers can't find control of his pitches, the Washington Nationals could be faced with a hard decision regarding his status with the organization going forward.

Feb 22, 2025; West Palm Beach, Florida, USA; Washington Nationals pitcher Evan Reifert (68) throws a pitch in the third inning against the Houston Astros at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches | Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images

The Washington Nationals are trying to figure out their Opening Day bullpen group.

While things will certainly change throughout the course of the season based on injuries and poor performances, having an established unit is something every top-end team wants to have.

The Nationals don't necessarily fit into that category, but they are looking to take a step forward this year, putting their young players and star prospects in a position to succeed to start establishing a winning mindset after multiple rebuilding seasons.

Because of that, skipper Dave Martinez and general manager Mike Rizzo might not be as patient when it comes to the development of certain guys.

While the likes of James Wood, Dylan Crews and perhaps Brady House will be given the benefit of the doubt since they are expected to be franchise cornerstones, living with mistakes made by others doesn't seem to be something Washington is looking to do this year.

That could mean they make the tough decision to send their 2024 Rule 5 draft pick Evan Reifert back to the Tampa Bay Rays if they remove him from the 40-man roster at any point this season.

"We love his stuff, we love his makeup but it's about him being consistent on throwing strikes. Can't come out of the bullpen and walk guys. You put yourself in a bad situation. And knowing that, if he's going to walk guys, I can't put him in with guys on base. It becomes a problem," Martinez said, per Andrew Golden of The Washington Post (subscription required).

That's a pretty clear statement.

It should also be pointed out that the chance he gets removed from the 40-man roster is slim.

Reifert can stay in the minors for the entire 2025 campaign which will protect the Nationals from having to send him back to his previous team, but if there are injuries that arise, it would be tough keep someone in the mix who the organization isn't confident in calling up to the Majors.

So far this spring, he's been beyond erratic.

In his seven appearances at the time of writing, he's given up 11 earned runs on seven hits, walking 12 batters in 6.1 innings pitched with nine strikeouts.

Reifert has to find his command. But the good news is he showed he is capable of that at the Double-A levell posting a 0.92 WHIP across his 35 outings and finishing the year with a 1.96 ERA.

But this is a step up in class, and if Washington is going to keep him on their 40-man roster, he has to show some signs of improvement when it comes to his control.