Washington Nationals Predicted to Sign Veteran Relief Pitcher to Help Bullpen

Will the Washington Nationals add some help in their bullpen?

Sep 15, 2023; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Houston Astros relief pitcher Kendall Graveman (31) pitches during the sixth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

With pitchers and catchers set to report soon, the regular season is approaching for the Washington Nationals.

As the franchise heads into the 2025 campaign, there is a lot of optimism surrounding the upcoming campaign and what they might be able to accomplish. Even though they didn’t win a ton of games in 2024, it was encouraging to see a lot of the young players, especially in the lineup performing well in the Majors.

Young stars like CJ Abrams and Luis Garcia Jr. had breakout seasons in 2024 and top prospects Dylan Crews and James Wood both got to gain experience in the Big Leagues.

While the lineup is full of young players with high upside, the pitching staff has a lot of question marks.

This offseason, Washington decided to non-tender the contract of All-Star closer Kyle Finnegan, leaving a void in the bullpen. So far, not a lot has been done to address some of the areas of weakness in the bullpen, but there are still some good options available.

Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report recently predicted that the Nationals would sign relief pitcher Kendall Graveman to help bolster a bullpen that could use another couple of arms.

The 34-year-old right-hander was unfortunately unable to pitch in 2024 due to injury, but after making the switch to the bullpen from the starting rotation early in his career, he’s been an excellent pitcher.

In 2023 with both the Chicago White Sox and Houston Astros, the veteran right-hander performed very well. He totaled a (5-6) record and a 3.12 ERA with both teams and after going to the Astros, he was very good with a 2.42 ERA.

For the Nationals, Graveman is the type of player who makes a lot of sense for them. After missing the entire campaign in 2024, the 34-year-old will be looking to prove himself once again.

Contenders are going to jump at a player like him right away, but the Nationals could use him in high-leverage situations. If he pitches well, it could not only help him secure another contract next year, but the Nationals could also flip him at the trade deadline if they are out of playoff contention.

At just 34 years old, Graveman should still have some good years left in him. While missing an entire season is never ideal, he has the talent to bounce back.

For Washington, it makes sense to add veterans into a bullpen that needs some help. It would be a low-risk, high-reward type of signing and one that makes sense.