Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
The Washington Nationals are a team in disarray. There are reports that came out yesterday saying that some members of the team are “depressed” because of the 7-12 start to the season. The reports also said the clubhouse is lifeless and that the team was flat. Everyone on the team has to take some sort of responsibility for all the struggles the Nationals have been through to this point. The offense is having trouble producing more than two runs a game most nights. The defense is the worst in all of baseball. The team is last in the league in base-running. The starting pitching has been substandard compared to the expectations before the season. The bullpen has blown at least seven games, and can’t complete an inning without allowing a run or more. There has not been a facet of the game that hasn’t contributed to a Nationals loss.
The good news is that only 19 games of 162 have been played. There’s plenty of time to try and fix things. One of the best ways to extinguish all of the negative feelings in the clubhouse is to infuse some life into it. General manager Mike Rizzo needs to find a way to make a deal for Philadelphia Phillies closer Jonathan Papelbon. Papelbon would help mend the bullpen issues by allowing manager Matt Williams to move current closer Drew Storen to the eighth inning role and insert one of the most experienced closers in the league into the ninth.
Papelbon is not only one of the best closers in baseball, but he also may be the fiercest competitor in the league. He wants to win, and he isn’t afraid to express his emotions on the field. His cutthroat approach to winning would certainly light a spark in this “lifeless” team, and he could be the missing piece for the Nationals. Rizzo needs to make this deal happen in order to inject some enthusiasm into this talented and underachieving club. This could be Rizzo’s defining moment in Washington; if he sits by and does nothing, he may be the next general manager looking for a job.
