Exchange of Jose A. Ferrer for Harry Ford bring the people who can be their successor in the future. It also left an already thin bullpen without a clear closer for next season. A rebuilding club is unlikely to pursue a shortstop in free agency. If they do make a move, they’re likely to get a cheap veteran with closing experience in hopes of replacing them at the trade deadline after a few months of decent production.
The Nationals ranked last in bullpen ERA by a significant amount in 2025. The team was running 0.4 worse than the closest team (Colorado). Washington was able to count on it Kyle Finnegan over the past few seasons. The righty threaded the needle to be able to hold down a job, while not having enough talent to leave via trade or free agency. He returned to the Nats’ fold in late February after receiving little interest on the open market. Washington traded him to Detroit at the trade deadline.
The trade of Finnegan led to the emergence of Ferrer, who earned 11 in the last two months of the season. The hard-throwing lefty’s numbers weren’t great, but a 3.24 SIERA and 3.43 xFIP suggested the best was yet to come. Ferrer will now join Seattle’s elite bullpen.
Washington has a new general manager and a first-time captain. It’s the perfect time to pull out the stud to release the rag-tag mix of arms. So who would be next-in-waiting?
Cole Henry
After years as one of the organization’s top prospects, Henry moved into a relief role in 2025. Lingering injury issues kept the 2020 second-round pick from making it as a starter. Henry opened the season in the minors, but was quickly promoted to the big league team. He gradually worked his way up to the top. The righty finished the season with 10 points, ranking behind only Ferrer. He also posted two saves.
Henry has a fastball to be close. The 26-year-old player sits in the mid-90s with above-average arm movement. The pitcher held hitters to a .191 batting average and recorded a +4 Run Value. Henry’s curveball is consistent, with its strong swing rate and strong stance. As a former starter, Henry made impressive use of the deep pitch mix, but his stack, cutter, and switchup were unremarkable. The key will be to limit the arsenal he can throw at strikes. Henry had a 13.3% walk rate, which ranked in the second percentile. You posted a sad 85 place.
Clayton Beeter
If the season started today, Beeter would likely pitch the 9th inning. He finished just behind Henry with nine rods and made another save. Beeter closed the season with a save and five catches in his last seven games. Interim manager Miguel Cairo leaning on him when Ferrer went limp. He is another former starter who recently moved into the fold.
Beeter has the regression numbers of an elite reliever. After multiple minor league seasons with a strikeout rate above 35%, he continued to strike out batters in the majors. Beeter has a 31.9% strikeout rate over 29 MLB innings over the past two years. Straightforward repertoire, upper 90s fastball and solid slider. Beeter’s slider had a whopping 49.1% strikeout rate last season. It was responsible for 29 of his 33 hits. Beeter had a 2.97 xFIP with the Nats, so his 2.49 ERA seems somewhat legitimate. If there’s an inside option that can raise 15 bucks and go in late July, it’s probably Beeter.
PJ Poulin or Connor Pilkington
Washington only has two left-handed relievers on the 40-man roster, so while Poulin and Pilkington are locked into MLB roles, neither is likely reserved for the 9th inning. A free agent addition of the southpaw variety would likely be the only way for one of them to land the gig. If that happens, there’s a route to Poulin or Pilkington vying for the job.
Poulin will be a non-traditional choice, even if the rest go. His heater never breaks 90 mph, and he walks too many hitters for a soft-tosser. But, he compiled a 2.10 ERA across Double-A and Triple-A in Detroit’s system in 2024. He had several stops with big strikeout numbers, including a 33.7% strikeout rate with Triple-A Toledo before being claimed by the Nats.
Pilkington’s speed has skyrocketed in the Nats bullpen compared to his starting days with the Guardians. He was sitting over 94 mph as a reliever this past year. Pilkington missed at-bats at an above-average rate, but he walked a lot and was blocked more often.
Marquis Grissom Jr.
Grissom worked his way up through Washington’s system, reaching Triple-A this past season. While he stumbled with Rochester, there is little track record to believe that Grissom could make an impact with the big league club. He posted a 2.21 ERA in two minor league appearances in 2024. That earned Grissom an invitation to MLB Spring Training in 2025. He also played in the Futures Game this past year, where he competed against his father (who managed the AL team). Grissom has compiled 27 saves over the past three seasons. The fact that he’s not on the 40-man roster hurts his chances, but the club doesn’t have a lot of leverage on the kids.
Brad Lord
A team that has lost reliable starters without it MacKenzie Gore he probably won’t be able to keep the King in the fold, even though his things are attractive there. Lord scored seven in a mixed role last season. He sat at 96 mph at times as a reliever. Lord compiled a two-month stretch from mid-May to mid-July with a 2.70 ERA and a 23.5% strikeout rate over 26 relief appearances. He doesn’t have a clear response for lefties (which will be a problem as a starter), but his fastball/sinker/slider combo can play with the speed bump out of the bullpen.
