Washington Nationals pitcher Cole Henry Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images

Nationals Bullpen Is a Disaster But There's Not Much That Can Be Done to Fix It

Originally posted on Washington Nationals on SI
By Brad Wakai | Last updated Apr 8, 2026 8:00 AM ET

Get used to this phrase a lot: the Washington Nationals bullpen blew a game.

That was the prevailing theme for last year's team, and through the first two weeks of this season, it seems like that is going to be the case once again. There was a fear that this was going to happen, but following a solid showing during the spring, there was some hope that the unit could be improved.

Well, so far, things appear to be worse. Blown leads against the Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals in the last seven days have resulted in three losses. And it could have been a fourth if it weren't for the late-inning offensive heroics on Monday. The bullpen sits with a 6.39 ERA through 11 games, which surprisingly isn't the worst in the majors. But that figure is well above the 5.59 mark they finished with last year when they were the worst, which is not a good sign.

Who Is to Blame?

Brad Mills-Imagn Images

Fans are understandably frustrated, especially because this offense looks competent and has done enough in multiple contests to produce wins. The blame has been pointed at owner Mark Lerner for not spending money, then to president of baseball operations Paul Toboni for constructing this bullpen and also to manager Blake Butera for how he has used his relief arms.

The fact of the matter is everyone is at fault in some capacity. It starts with Lerner, though. To field a competent MLB bullpen, money has to be spent on premier arms. Washington can't continue to trot out fringe big league relievers and expect to get results. The lack of spending handicapped Toboni, and he tried to piece together a relief staff through minor league signings and waiver claims. As for Butera, he is still learning how to be a manager, so there will be growing pains. However, it's hard to rely on guys day in and day out if they aren't producing results.

All in all, it's a frustrating situation for Nationals fans right now. And it stems from the top. So until something changes when it comes to how resources are allocated, then this is going to be the result going forward.

Can Anything Be Done to Fix This?

Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

The only way this can get fixed this season is if the Nationals get aggressive on the trade front. Toboni acquired pieces for the future when trading for star catcher Harry Ford, high-upside pitcher Luis Perales and five top 30 prospects from the Texas Rangers. But he didn't do anything to address the current bullpen situation for Washington.

There just isn't enough internal talent where continuous roster shuffles will overhaul this unit into becoming a successful one. They could keep playing the waiver claim game throughout the year in hopes they find a few diamonds in the rough, but it's not a given that strategy will ever bear fruit.

So, unless the Nationals are willing to change their thinking when it comes to how they are going to build a bullpen, there's not much that can be done to fix things. And fans will just have to live with these results for the rest of the year no matter how frustrating that is going to be.

This article first appeared on Washington Nationals on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: