The rebuilding of the worst bullpen in Major League Baseball began on Monday afternoon at the annual Winter Meetings in Indianapolis. No better place for Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo to put the pieces back together for a unit that finished with an ERA of 5.09
His first move? Acquiring right-handed reliever Brian Bruney from the Yankees for what the New York Daily News is reporting as Washington’s Rule V draft pick.
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Bruney is a power pitcher with 8.9 strikeouts per 9 innings. But that velocity comes at a cost. He spent two stints on the disabled list last season with elbow issues. And while those problems are reportedly behind him, it’s not like the Nats can pencil him in for 70 games at the back end of the bullpen either. This move is all about creating options for a club that had so few last year.
Another concern: Bruney didn’t pitch at all in the postseason save for a one-out appearance in Game 1 of the World Series where he allowed three hits and two runs in a 6-1 loss. Then again — Bruney doesn’t have to be Mariano Rivera to make the Nats better. He’ll be in the mix for the closer role along with incumbent Mike MacDougal. That alone tells you everything about Washington’s bullpen depth. MacDougal wasn’t even on the team on Opening Day and by mid-June was closing games. The only thing obvious after today is that Rizzo is far from finished with this rebuilding project.
