Major League Baseball

Washington Nationals Closer Remains Secret For Now

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 3:18 p.m. ET

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Fansided, Tim Haberin/FanSided via Call to the Pen

The Washington Nationals have picked their closer to start the season, but they're staying mum on the decision for the time being. Who is the likeliest choice?

It's a question that has run rampant ever since Mark Melancon signed with the San Francisco Giants: Who will be the Washington Nationals' closer in 2017? Free agents, trade options and internal choices were all floated as possibilities, but the club ultimately refrained from reaching outside the organization.

The Nats have reportedly settled on a candidate, though they're not revealing it publicly just yet. According to Jamal Collier of MLB.com, manager Dusty Baker confirmed before Saturday's spring training game that they have made a decision: "We've kind of settled on a guy, but we've got to tell the guy first."

As Collier notes, the competition seems to be between Shawn Kelley, Blake Treinen and Koda Glover. Baker provided no clues as to which direction the team was leaning, or when an announcement will be made, though with Opening Day a week away, it will presumably be soon.

Kelley seems like the safest bet to get the nod as closer to start the year, with the caveat that he could relinquish the role if he falters and/or one of the others is really banging on the door for the job. At age 32 (33 next month) and with eight big league seasons under his belt, he's something of the elder statesman of the group. While none of the candidates have extensive closing experience, Kelley leads the pack with 11 career saves. (Treinen has one, Glover zero.)

The right-handed Kelley enjoyed a strong season in the Washington bullpen last year, posting a 2.64 ERA and 0.90 WHIP over 58 innings. He's quietly been a solid reliever his whole career, owning a 3.50 ERA and 1.17 WHIP since his 2009 debut with the Mariners. He has also shown legitimate strikeout ability, maintaining an 11.8 K/9 over the last four seasons and 10.6 K/9 for his career.

Kelley's a conventional choice to begin the campaign, but as Collier mentions, soon-to-be 24-year-old Koda Glover has made the Nats a compelling argument this spring. He sports a 3.72 ERA and 0.93 WHIP through 9.2 frames, racking up 12 strikeouts in the process. Per Collier, they have been using him in the ninth inning, but that might not necessarily mean they're planning to hand him the reins right away.

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Glover rose quickly through the minor league ranks in 2016, producing a 2.25 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 4.71 K/BB between Class A-Advanced, Double-A and Triple-A. He then received a 19.2-inning cameo in the majors. Glover's fastball can reach the high 90s, and it's believed by some that the Nationals views him as their closer of the future.

Treinen has been a solid performer over three MLB seasons, pitching to a 2.91 ERA and 1.33 WHIP while averaging 62 frames per year. In 2016 he put up a career-high 184 ERA+. Though armed with an effective sinker, he's posted a BB/9 rate over 4.0 the past two seasons, which could run him into some trouble in potential ninth-inning situations. Treinen will be an important member of the bullpen, but he seems the least likely choice as closer at the moment.

Melancon's impeccable work after being traded to Washington last year played a big part in the Nats locking down the NL East division crown. If the club wants to make good on its World Series aspirations, it will need to have a dependable option at the end of games.

We'll see how the Nationals configure their bullpen for Opening Day, but right now this feels like Kelley's job at the outset, with Glover poised to take over once he gets a bit more seasoning at the major league level.

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