Like a mayor at a town parade, yesterday Washington’s General Manager Mike Rizzo kicked off the 2018-2019 Hot Stove Season, signing free agent RHP Trevor Rosenthal, pending a physical, to bolster their bullpen.  The terms of the contract are rather complicated, as it is a one-year pact worth $6 million plus incentives, and there is a mutual option for $7 million plus incentives for 2020.  Ultimately, Rosenthal is guaranteed $7 million total and can earn a maximum of $28 million over the next two seasons.

The 28-year-old righty missed the entire 2018 season recovering from September 2017 Tommy John surgery.  Prior to the injury, Rosenthal had spent his entire six-year career with St. Louis and established himself as one of the best closers in the National League.  Rosenthal has a career 2.99 ERA and 121 saves over 325 innings, with 435 strikeouts.  His command was not ideal, but he overwhelmed hitters with an upper-90s fastball and a nasty slider, along with an occasional changeup and curveball.  Rosenthal’s workload will need to be closely monitored in his first season returning post-surgery, but he should work as Washington’s primary setup man in 2019, while collecting the occasional save.

On pure reputation this signing is a slam dunk, as just one surgery and 18 months ago, Rosenthal was one of the ten best relievers in baseball.  Fast forward to now, and he is now available for a $7 million guarantee, plus incentives, to shut down the opposition in the 8^th inning and provide closer depth behind Sean Doolittle.  The Nationals, like much of baseball, are prioritizing velocity in the late-inning relievers, and the team now projects to have three relievers in Doolittle, Rosenthal and Kyle Barraclough with closing experience who throw in the upper-90s.
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Yet we must acknowledge the health risks involved with Rosenthal post-Tommy John surgery, and the limitations he will work under in 2019.  Two of the main reasons the Nationals’ bullpen struggled in 2018 was their lack of pitchers who could throw multiple innings or pitch on consecutive days, something Rosenthal does not resolve.

Even considering these issues and his healthy guaranteed salary, this has to be seen as a win for the Nationals.  The team desperately needed to overhaul their bullpen this winter, and the acquisitions of Barraclough and Rosenthal has their relief corps suddenly looking intriguing for 2019.  Additionally, Rosenthal also brings valuable playoff experience to a youthful relief corps.  In what should be an active and competitive free agent market for relievers this offseason, Rosenthal’s contract will look like a relative bargain come Opening Day.

NatsGM Grade   ->           B+