Nationals agree to contract with ex-Diamondbacks, Cubs reliever

Most fans were well aware of the plethora of talent the Washington Nationals had on their roster entering the 2025 MLB season, but a demanding division and other deficiencies resulted in overall low expectations for the team. A month in, that assessment is accurate. Left fielder James Wood has nine home runs and is slugging .543. All-Star shortstop CJ Abrams has raked when healthy. MacKenzie Gore is leading MLB with 59 strikeouts and fellow left-handed starter Mitchell Parker has a 2.65 ERA. And yet, the Nats are 13-18.

An MLB-worst 7.41 bullpen ERA has failed to maximize the aforementioned progress that some of the players are making this year. Washington president of baseball operations Mike Rizzo is hoping to address the blatant issue early before the situation gets completely out of hand, hence his latest move. The Nationals have agreed to a contract with veteran southpaw Andrew Chafin, per The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal.

What the newest member of the Nationals can bring to the table

The 2011 first-round draft pick has a 3.42 ERA and 25.9 strikeout percentage through 601 career games, overcoming some inconsistencies with the Arizona Diamondbacks and proving himself to be an effective reliever for the Chicago Cubs, then-Oakland Athletics and Detroit Tigers. He has been particularly erratic of late, however.

Chafin posted a 4.19 ERA in 21 games for the Texas Rangers last season, walking an alarming 17.9 percent of the batters he faced. The Nationals are optimistic he can improve those numbers, but honestly, they are not in the position to be picky. Manager Dave Martinez is desperate for bullpen stability, and although Chafin is not exactly known for supplying that trait, he has the experience and swing-and-miss stuff that Washington urgently requires.

One must also not forget his unique mullet and mustache-defined appearance as well as his fun-loving personality. “Big Country” could inject new life on the mound and infectious energy into the clubhouse. This is also a critical opportunity for him. He opted out of his minor league contract with the Tigers, determined to rejoin The Show and pitch meaningful innings for a ballclub.

And that is precisely what the Nationals will ask Andrew Chafin to do following his arrival. This one addition will not automatically heal this worryingly weak relief unit, but maybe it can slow down the bleeding for the time being.