One of the main downfalls of the Nationals' disappointing 2015 campaign was the inability to consistently identify an eighth-inning set-up man. A glaring void was left once general manager Mike Rizzo traded reliable reliever Tyler Clippard for infielder Yunel Escobar last offseason.
Rizzo opted to sign former Blue Jays closer Casey Janssen to bridge the gap until Drew Storen took over in the ninth. Shoulder tendinitis prevented Janssen's season from getting started until late May. Once he finally took the mound, it wasn't pretty for most of the year.
Inexperienced right-handers Aaron Barrett and Blake Treinen - both in their second big league seasons - were also given opportunities in the eighth during the first few months, but were highly inconsistent.
So, despite Storen saving 29 of 31 chances, Rizzo decided to bump him back to the eighth, bringing in veteran closer Jonathan Papelbon in a trade to handle the ninth. The move backfired as Storen's season fell apart, and he posted a 6.75 ERA over his final 20 appearances.
Last Friday, Rizzo shipped Storen to the Blue Jays in exchange for outfielder Ben Revere. While the move was expected, it still leaves the Nationals facing the same question heading into 2016: Who will handle the eighth?
"We've got several candidates internally, we feel, that can handle the role," Rizzo said. "(Shawn) Kelley has done it for a long time. Shawn has shown the propensity to set up and either close in a major market like New York City. He filled in for (David) Robertson in 2014 and had 12 holds there and four saves. His leverage index of innings was well above average in '14. He's pitched extremely well in New York and in San Diego. So we feel good about that.
"Some of the younger guys that we have are some impressive young arms. The kid, (Trevor) Gott, that we received in the trade with the Angels. His leverage index was above average last year. Thirty-five percent of his appearances in his first year in the big leagues were in the seventh inning or later with a one-run or tie game. So this guy's pitched in some big opportunities.
"Of course, we've got two of our own that we feel are going to be capable of pitching late innings and leverage innings in Blake Treinen and Felipe Rivero. And don't forget, you've got (Yusmeiro) Petit, who has obviously pitched a lot of big, meaningful innings in his career. So we feel good about where we're at in the bullpen. We've got depth. We've got quality. We've got guys who have pitched in an array of roles in the backend of games."
Kelley, 31, posted a 2.45 ERA in 53 appearances with the Padres last season. Rizzo inked the right-hander to a three-year, $15 million deal last month. Righties batted .218, while lefties only managed to hit at a .224 clip against Kelley. Thirty-one of his outings came in the eighth inning or later in 2015.
Gott is an intriguing option. The hard-throwing right-hander went 4-2 with a 3.02 ERA in 48 appearances for the Angels during his rookie season in 2015. He struck out 27 while walking 16 over 47 2/3 innings.
Rivero was impressive, particularly at the tail end of his rookie season last year. The left-hander reached 100 mph on his fastball while saving two of the Nationals' final five games. In 49 appearances, Rivero went 2-1 with a 2.79 ERA while striking out 43 with 11 walks over 48 1/3 innings. As a former starter, the 24-year-old was nearly equally as effective against righties (.200) as lefties (.198).