The trade deadline in the major leagues is 4 p.m. on Wednesday, and once again, it appears the Nationals need bullpen help.
In games entering Tuesday, the combined ERA of Washington relievers was 6.01 – the worst mark among 30 teams in the majors.
The Washington bullpen had given up 49 homers in just 316 innings. Despite those numbers, the team was 57-49 going into Tuesday’s game with first-place Atlanta and trailed the leader by 4 ½ games.
Players try to ignore the trade deadline.
“Everyone is focused on the guys we have in the clubhouse,” Nationals lefty reliever Matt Grace told The Washington Times on Tuesday.
“We don’t worry about (the trade deadline),” reliever Tanner Rainey. “Right now we have our team and will play with that.”
“Nats looking to add not one but two pen guys if they can, preferably 1 being lefthanded. They look like a threat … especially if they can tighten up the pen,” MLB Network’s Jon Heyman tweeted Tuesday afternoon.
Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo has not hesitated to make summer trades to aid the bullpen. Here is a look at some trades for relievers the Nationals have made in recent years:
Sean Doolittle and Ryan Madson, 2017
The Nationals were trying to pad their lead in the National League East when they traded right-handed reliever Blake Treinen, lefty Jesus Luzardo and infielder Sheldon Neuse to the Oakland A’s for Doolittle and Madson.
Treinen became an American League All-Star as a closer with Oakland last season. But Doolittle became one of the best closers in the National League at the end of the 2017 season as he went 1-0 with a 2.40 ERA with 21 saves in 30 games.
Doolittle helped the Nationals win the National League East. Washington lost in the NLDS to the Chicago Cubs, but Doolittle did not allow a run in three games and had one save in the series.
Madson was 3-0 with a 1.27 ERA and one save with the Nationals in 2017.
The veteran right-hander was 2-5, 5.28 with four saves last season for Washington, before he was traded in August 2018 to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Andrew Istler.
Madson pitched in nine games with the Dodgers at the end of last season. He became a free agent after 2018 and has not pitched in the majors this year.
Istler had a 0.81 ERA in 15 games out of the bullpen through Tuesday for Single-A Potomac.
Mark Melancon, 2016
The Nationals traded lefty pitchers Felipe Rivero (now Vazquez) and Taylor Hearn to the Pirates on July 30, 2016 for Melancon, a right-handed reliever.
As the National League reliever of the year in 2015, Melancon went 1-1 with a 1.82 ERA and 17 saves for Washington after being acquired in 2016.
After the 2016 season, he signed a free-agent deal with San Francisco. In games through Monday, he was 4-2, 3.57 with one save this season for the Giants.
Vazquez became an All-Star closer for the Pirates. Through Tuesday, Vazquez was 2-1, 1.87 with 21 saves in games this season.
Jonathan Papelbon, 2015
The Nationals dealt minor league pitcher Nick Pivetta to the Phillies for veteran closer Jonathan Papelbon on July 28, 2015.
Papelbon went 2-2, 3.04 with seven saves the rest of the season with Washington.
Papelbon became a villain for many Washington fans when he attacked all-star outfielder Bryce Harper in the team’s dugout when Harper failed to run hard to first base in a September game.
Papelbon was 2-4, 4.37 with 19 saves with the Nationals in 2016 before he was released on August 13 of that year. He has not pitched in the majors since.
Pivetta made his MLB debut with the Phillies in 2017. Pivetta had been part of their rotation this season, going 4-4, 5.28 in his first 16 games, including 13 starts. Pivetta was demoted to the bullpen last week after the Phillies signed starter Drew Smyly.
Kelvin Herrera, 2018
In June 2018, the Nationals acquired reliever Kelvin Herrera from the Kansas City Royals for Yohanse Morel, Blake Perkins, and Kelvin Gutierrez.
Herrera went 1-2 with a 4.34 ERA in 21 games and three saves for the Nationals, who finished out of the playoff chase as the Braves won the division title.
Herrera signed with the White Sox in the offseason. In games through Tuesday, he was 3-3, 7.36 in 38 games out of the bullpen for Chicago.
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