Category: Washington Nationals

  • Matt Barnes’ IL stint may be over today

    August 4, 2021 Boston Red Sox – We alerted you yesterday that Matt Barnes was on the COVID IL. Well, that stint may come to an end today after Barnes tested negative. We’ll alert you when Barnes is officially allowed to sit in the bullpen and watch the Sox inevitably lose again. Updated hierarchy: Ottavino…

  • Closers Diego Castillo and Brad Hand traded; hours left before trade deadline

    July 30, 2021 Seattle Mariners — Days after trading closer Kendall Graveman to the Astros, the Mariners acquired Diego Castillo and will presumably plug him into the ninth-inning role right away. GM Jerry Dipoto said as much, though he acknowledged others could also factor in based on matchups. Paul Sewald, who has been amazing this…

  • Nationals trade Brad Hand to Blue Jays

    July 29, 2021 Washington Nationals — The Nationals dealt Brad Hand to the Blue Jays. With Daniel Hudson and Austin Voth on the COVID-IL, Kyle Finnegan and the just-activated Tanner Rainey will lead this bullpen. Updated hierarchy: *Finnegan | Rainey | Suero.* = closer-by-committee Toronto Blue Jays – The Blue Jays have acquired Nationals closer…

  • Gregory Soto finding success for the Tigers

    July 22, 2021 Detroit Tigers — Gregory Soto seems to be running away with the closer job in Detroit, and his fourth straight save will see him bid farewell to the committee asterisk. Updated hierarchy: Soto | Cisnero | Funkhouser. Arizona Diamondbacks — The seventh-inning role for Arizona is a revolving door to Reno, with…

  • Chad Green continues his strong work for the Yankees

    July 8, 2021 New York Yankees — For years, a one-run lead in the ninth inning has produced a Pavlovian response in Yankees fans: Aroldis Chapman. But a month of increasingly harsh negative reinforcement has flipped the script, leaving them newly desperate to not see their $17.2 million closer in a tight spot (examples one, two,…