Evan Reifert Has Opportunity To Seize Role in Washington Nationals Bullpen
The Washington Nationals made their first big move of the offseason recently when they acquired first baseman Nathaniel Lowe from the Texas Rangers in exchange for left-handed relief pitcher Robert Garcia.
It fills a major hole in the lineup, as the Nationals received next to nothing production-wise from first basemen in 2024.
While not a superstar, Lowe will provide the team with some consistency at the plate with a career .272/.356/.433 slash line in 2,821 plate appearances. He will add some pop to the lineup and with an improving glove at first base, likely hasn’t reached his ceiling yet.
But, the acquisition didn’t come without a price, as they surrendered a player who looked like he would be a key piece of their bullpen in 2025 and beyond.
Washington liked what Garcia showed during his tenure with the franchise and was set to take over a bigger role in the bullpen. Without him in the mix, the only players set for surefire roles are Derek Law and Jose A. Ferrer.
There will be ample opportunities for players to step up and earn prominent spots in Dave Martinez’s bullpen in Spring Training.
One of the players worth keeping an eye on is Evan Reifert.
Selected in the Rule 5 Draft away from the Tampa Bay Rays, he has the potential to develop into a lights-out late-inning pitcher. His strikeout numbers are incredibly impressive, but he has to harness his control and accuracy better, as they are both volatile.
He is someone that Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo is excited to see get to work, as he will have a chance to carve out a full-time role.
“He’s got two plus pitches, one extreme swing-and-miss pitch with the slider, and he posted extremely good numbers at the Double-A level. We’re going to give him every opportunity to make the team and stick on the team and to help impact the bullpen,” Rizzo said via Jessica Camerato of MLB.com.
He has an electric arm, striking out at least 14.1 batters per nine innings at every level of the Minor Leagues across 146.1 innings. But, he has hit 21 batters and walked 87 across that time as well.
If the Washington coaching staff can figure out what is leading to the shaky control and iron that out, they will have quite a weapon to deploy out of the bullpen.
There is a major need in their bullpen with Garcia now with the Rangers and closer Kyle Finnegan being non-tendered after a pre-arbitration deal could not be reached.
Reifert’s odds of sticking on the Major League roster have certainly increased with another spot being opened. Depending on how he performs in the offseason and Spring Training will determine how high of a leverage role he steps into out of the gate.
