Potential Nationals Offseason Target Got Shelled by Division Rivals in NLCS
The Washington Nationals seem to be honing in on making a play for a first baseman this offseason, but there are other areas they would like to address as well.
It's tricky when it comes to how much they are willing to spend right now based on the current stage of their rebuild and how many young players need to get experience at the Major League level, but bringing in veterans to bolster this clubhouse could go a long way in the development of this roster.
One position group that could be targeted this winter is their starting rotation.
Adding a high-level starter who can be paired with Mackenzie Gore and DJ Herz for the next few years would be a major boost to that unit.
Someone floated as a possibility is Jack Flaherty.
Once one of the rising stars in the game, injuries derailed his career until he got things back on track with the Detroit Tigers this season that eventually saw him get shipped to the Los Angeles Dodgers at the trade deadline.
He has been exactly what that team needed during the back half of the year, and in the opening game of the NLCS, the right-hander produced a gem that allowed the Dodgers to get off to an early series lead.
Unfortunately, things didn't go so well in his second start against the New York Mets.
In the bottom of the first inning, Flaherty allowed a three-run blast to Pete Alonso that traveled 432 feet to center field that gave the Mets a lead they never relinquished.
It went from bad to worse for the potential Nationals target.
After getting through the next frame unscathed, things unraveled for Flaherty as New York scored five runs in the third inning that put his final stat line at eight earned runs allowed in three innings pitched.
This isn't the be-all and end-all for the impending free agent, but with teams keeping an eye on how players perform when games matter the most, his playoff ERA sitting at 7.04 after that outing isn't something to write home about.
That could be a good thing for Washington, though.
If contending clubs around the league are hesitant to hand him a lucrative deal based on his past injury history and this performance in the postseason, there's a chance the Nationals are able to take advantage and sign him to a deal.
