Starter-Turned-Reliever Considered Best Trade Deadline Fit for Nationals

Should the Washington Nationals pursue this arm?

Washington Nationals manager Blake Butera | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Washington Nationals entered July 8 with a 47-46 record, which put them 3.5 games out of the final National League wild card spot.

Considering the preseason expectations for this young squad coming into the year, it's remarkable that there is even a debate taking place regarding if the front office should buy or sell ahead of the trade deadline. But that's the current predicament they are in, as it's become clear that the Nationals would be sitting comfortably in a playoff position if they had even an average bullpen.

With that in mind, Jim Bowden of The Athletic (subscription required) listed Colorado Rockies starter-turned-reliever Antonio Senzatela as the best fit for Washington if they choose to go after a relief arm.

Antonio Senzatela Would Give Nationals a Multi-Inning Arm

Colorado Rockies pitcher Antonio Senzatela | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Senzatela, who was signed as an amateur free agent by the Rockies back in 2011, came up the ranks as a starting pitcher. Despite not having big-time strikeout stuff, he dominated in the minors until he was called up by Colorado in 2017. But he struggled in The Show, with the 2020 campaign being the only one where he had an ERA below 4.00. And then, towards the end of 2022, he suffered a torn ACL that was later followed up with a UCL sprain in 2023 that required Tommy John surgery.

The 31-year-old came back in mid-September of 2024, where he struggled with nine earned runs allowed across his three starts and 12 1/3 innings pitched. That carried over into last season, where he finished with an ERA of 6.65 across 30 appearances (23 starts). The Rockies decided to move him into the bullpen ahead of this year, and in that role, he's found success.

Senzatela has a 2.93 ERA and an ERA+ of 169, which is 69 percentage points better than the league average, across his 27 appearances. He also can pitch multiple innings per outing, which is something this Washington team desperately needs. Add in the the fact that Senzatela has been a high-end arm when pitching away from Coors Field -- ERA of 1.54 across 23 1/3 innings -- and it's not a surprise why Bowden considers the veteran right-hander to be the best fit for the Nationals when it comes to improving their relief staff.

How Antonio Senzatela's Contract Lines Up With Nationals

Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Antonio Senzatela | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

When thinking about possible targets who Washington could go after, finances always have to be at the forefront of the consideration based on how little the ownership group has spent on this roster over the past few years.

Because of that, it's not clear how favorably the decision makers would view Senzatela due to the fact that he is under contract this year for $12 million and he has a club option for $14 million in 2027. While the Nationals would only pay a portion of his deal for the remainder of this season if they were to acquire him -- and they likely would not pick up his club option, thus making him a rental -- adding that type of money to their payroll might not be something the Lerners are interested in doing since Senzatela's addition wouldn't guarantee that Washington would make the playoffs.

That's why, despite the fit, there's a good chance that he isn't pursued by the Nationals ahead of the trade deadline. However, if the Lerners were to tell president of baseball operations Paul Toboni that they would sign off on adding someone like the Senzatela, then it likely wouldn't take much to pry him away from Colorado, which would fit into the idea that Washington is planning on adding some pieces to help the current team win now while also not giving away top-end prospects for the future.