Wednesday evening the weary Washington Nationals bullpen suffered a collapse and got smoked like a Willie Nelson “cigarette”, to the tune of 9 runs in the 8^th inning.  The dagger came when AJ Cole, now pitching in relief after losing the 5^th starter role to Jeremy Hellickson, served up a mammoth grand slam home run to Yoenis Cespedes.  This elevated his ERA this season to 13.06 and left many Nationals’ fans, myself included, wondering what the next step is for AJ Cole’s career in Washington.

Cole does not have any minor league options remaining, meaning the Nationals would have to expose him to waivers before sending him to the minor leagues, where he would likely be claimed by another team.  This leaves Washington’s front office in a difficult spot, as Cole needs work in the minor leagues to refine his mechanics and regain his confidence, yet they do not wish to lose him for nothing.

For the record, I have probably been Cole’s biggest fan in NatsTown the past several years, as I watched him in high school and imagined his projectable frame and intriguing 4-pitch repertoire developing into a mid-rotation quality starting pitcher.  While raw like sushi, the 18-year-old Cole possessed a low-90s sinking fastball, a promising changeup and the ability to spin a breaking ball.

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Today the 26-year-old Cole still has those attributes, but has not been able to improve the consistency of his breaking pitches, nor his fastball command.  This leaves him susceptible to plenty of walks and lengthy home runs.  However, when he finds his groove, as he did against Atlanta earlier this month and in 52 innings last year, Cole has major league quality stuff and can get major league hitters out.  Other major league teams have certainly taken notice of this, and would be foolish not to claim him, gambling that a change of scenery could unlock his potential.

Considering the number of teams actively “rebuilding” this year, it would be shocking to see Cole go unclaimed through waivers, as clubs always need extra pitching during the season.  It would not surprise me to see the White Sox claim him and allow noted pitching guru Don Cooper the opportunity to work with him.  Perhaps the Pittsburgh Pirates and pitching coach Ray Searage might want the chance to revamp his repertoire to improve his performance.  Or could Tampa Bay attempt to work their magic on another talented, yet inconsistent young pitcher.

Unfortunately due to his poor start to the season, roster limitations and the team’s goal of winning in 2018, it feels like AJ Cole’s time as a Washington National is rapidly coming to a close.  I fear Cole will emerge in a new situation and become a productive major league pitcher, a habit Washington has recently developed.  Just in the past two years, the Nationals have traded inconsistent young pitchers like Felipe (Rivero) Vazquez, Nick Pivetta and Blake Treinen, only to see them establish themselves for other teams.  Circumstances have boxed the team into a corner, but I predict a Change of Scenery will make AJ Cole the latest pitcher Washington wishes they had kept in the organization.

*Originally published at MASNSports.com on 4/20/18*