The Washington Nationals are contenders in every sense of the word. They just have one Achilles' heel: their bullpen. It has been abysmal since the team watched Mark Melancon walk to the San Francisco Giants during the offseason. They have tried a multitude of solutions at the closer spot, with none working. Maybe they'll be able to find one in the trade market before the deadline at the end of the month - Raisel Iglesias is reportedly a target.
Iglesias fits the bill
Jon Morosi of the MLB Network first revealed the team's interest in acquiring Iglesias on Thursday morning.
The Cincinnati Reds closer hasn't had many opportunities to shut the door on opponents this season, playing for one of the worst teams in baseball. When he has, however, the closer has capitalized in a major way. The Nationals would be foolish not to show interest in a player who has converted 15 of 16 save opportunities for a 1.59 ERA.
Sources: #Nationals showing interest in #Reds closer Raisel Iglesias. He has a 1.59 ERA, 15 of 16 in save opportunities. @MLB @MLBNetwork
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) July 6, 2017
It would also give the Nationals an opportunity to develop a star for the future. The Cuban star is 27 years old, despite having made his major league debut just two years ago. He signed a seven-year deal in 2014, leaving him under club control at a reasonable rate through the 2021 season.
If Iglesias remains as good as he's been this season - which has evidently been a small sample size - Washington could be solving a problem both in the present and for the future.
The Nationals grow desperate
The bullpen has been a sore spot for the Nationals all season. The team has tried many different options at closer and have even settled for the dreaded closer-by-committee approach.
They have the worst bullpen ERA in all of baseball at 5.19. Only the New York Mets bullpen also averages more than five earned runs courtesy of their bullpen. Iglesias may be the team's last hope of erasing their biggest problem.
The Nationals are far and away the best team in the National League East. They will have no problem winning the division.
But last year's playoffs were a good indication of how far a good bullpen can get a team...and how much a bad bullpen can hold a team back.
Teams are aware of Washington's troubles at the ends of games and will try to exploit that in the form of a hefty sum at the trade deadline. The Reds will be no different, especially as a rebuilding team in need of prospects. The price to pay for Raisel Iglesias will be a steep one, but it has the potential to be worth it when October rolls around.
