Gene Cutright

@NationalsSource @Lazarchick78209 @TheCurlyWDude @SleeperNats Excepting Cosgrove, the most recent “dart throws” picked up from the MLB relievers “scrap heap” seem to be landing further off the dart board with Krook and Kranick. Hard to believe that personnel acquisition selections are making the routine relievers dumpster fire even worse.

@Lazarchick78209 @TheCurlyWDude @SleeperNats You’re correct. But that obvious point doesn’t seem to click with some. There were no moves this offseason meant for 2026 success especially success behind a league leading offense (no one expected that) even the Foster move was a dart throw for a potential trade.

GET ZACK LITTELL OFF THE TEAM! #Natitude

@NationalsSource When you consider the bulk relievers’ ERAs (just as relievers), the team’s reliever ERA gets pulled down below last year’s stat. As relievers: Littel 2.94 (Wow!), Mikolas 3.51 (also Wow!), Alvarez 4.03 (unsurprising). So, perhaps better management; poorer personnel.

I was digging around some bullpen stats and found this to be interesting This years bullpen actually has a better ERA than last years in the first half. 5.07 to 5.37… but what makes this year hurt more is the increase in blown saves… so I looked at save opportunities… so far the Nats have 54 this year… ALL OF LAST YEAR they only had 57😂 That’s due to the offensive improvement but interesting that even the worst part of this years team is still very slightly improved atleast ERA wise over last year

@JimlikesBB @YuccaMike @NationalsSource Agree. When you consider the bulk relievers’ ERAs (just as relievers), the team’s reliever ERA gets pulled down below last year’s stat. As relievers: Littel 2.94 (Wow!), Mikolas 3.51 (also Wow!), Alvarez 4.03 (unsurprising). So, perhaps better management; poorer personnel.

@YuccaMike @NationalsSource Since this year relievers have more innings than starters pretty sure the openers are in the starters stats. This does make pitching stats a bit odd.

@spencernusbaum_ Problem for Crews was depth perception. He is looking up and running to his right while peripherally seeing the more distant visitors’ bullpen fence in the background and WHAM he runs smack into the “jut in” point of the red outfield seats wall. Never “saw” the “jut in” coming.

For the third game in a row, the Nationals took a narrow lead into the final two innings and couldn't hold on to it. This time, Crews can't make a tough leaping catch at the wall that would've kept them ahead. Alvarez walked the previous batter.

@federalbaseball Problem for Crews was depth perception. He is looking up and running to his right while peripherally seeing the more distant visitors’ bullpen fence in the background and WHAM he runs smack into the “jut in” point of the red outfield seats wall. Never “saw” the “jut in” coming.

I think the difference on defense should be big enough to impact their decision making

@MarkZuckerman Unfortunately for the Nats, Jacob Young being more familiar with the wall contours in that spot probably makes that catch. A shame for Alvarez, that fly was catchable with proper knowledge and preparation.

Dylan Crews looked like he had a bead on Ben Rice's drive to the wall in left-center. He didn't quite get there before slamming into the wall. Two runs score. Nats down 4-3 in the 8th.

@MarkZuckerman Problem for Crews was depth perception. He is looking up and running to his right while peripherally seeing the more distant visitors’ bullpen fence in the background and WHAM he runs smack into the “jut in” point of the red outfield seats wall. Never “saw” the “jut in” coming.

@NavyYardNats @GrantPaulsen Nats Park: 9th Inning House of Horrors

100 percent on ownership for refusing to invest in pitching for the last 6 years. 👇👇👇

@NationalsSource When ask “trash pile” relievers to close games with one run leads, losses are a very predictable result. 26 blown saves out of 53 save opportunities. Absolutely disgusting.

Like there’s a lot of things Butera does you can blame on lack of talent but that move tonight was just stupid. Grow from here and I hope he takes accountability for it but this one annoys me.

@TalkNats FYI, WC40 could potentially be ejected during a future home run trot requiring a substitute runner to complete circling the bases (according to Google AI’s reference to MLB rules), if he commits an ejectable offense during his home run trot. It could happen, perhaps soon.

More on this and there was much more on Instagram. I think much of the responses have been deleted. x.com/ChrisCotillo/s…

@NationalsComms @EliasSports Hope that is a good omen. With luck, perhaps an omen closer can become an amen closer.

Per @EliasSports, Justin Lawrence became the first Nationals pitcher to record a save in his team debut since Sean Doolittle on July 18, 2017.

@MarkZuckerman Wow! The guy first appearing for the Nats with an 8.04 ERA closes it out for a much needed win to bring the team back to .500. Baseball is indeed a game filled with irony.

Justin Lawrence: Bullpen savior? (With a major assist — literally — from CJ Abrams.)

@federalbaseball Moderating my post above from 4/11/26. Strke “incredibly stupid” and replace with “imprudent”. Butera may be too quick to use pinch hitters/runners in sacrifice of defense, too rigid with pitcher durations, and too match-up oriented with relievers, but he has mostly managed well.

@federalbaseball Incredibly stupid move by Butera to pinch run for Ruiz in the top half of the 9th inning. Putting in your backup catcher with new framing for the HP ump and with less sense of HP ump’s strike calls - for only the possibility of one insurance run (when you already got that run).

When will the Nats ever have a big league caliber bullpen and catching room?

@ajflax @TalkinNats Agreed. Riz also had the knack for improving bad pens in mid and late season almost every year. 2012, 14, 16, 17 and 19 were obvious successes, but improvements came in some lean years, too. It’s not unreasonable for Nats fans to ask for in-season improvements this year, too.

@GeneCutright @TalkinNats It's an example of survivorship bias. It's relevant here because the only relievers who have stuck around from DeBartolo and Rizzo are the ones who are good. Rizzo picked plenty of bad relievers: Poche, Sims, etc.

I am floored that anyone is getting mad at Toboni for the state of the bullpen right now. This team did not make a single win-now move all offseason. They were rebuilding. But now that they're exceeding expectations (thanks to him and Butera), it's his fault for not spending?

@ajflax @TalkinNats Looks like the soft underbelly of a B-17.

@GeneCutright @TalkinNats Does this image mean anything to you?

@NationalsSource Ideally, that approach could work. It will be fascinating to observe which players Toboni chooses to move.

@GeneCutright I don’t think anything of real value should be moved even if blocked because then when it actually matters we won’t have them. Maybe a top 40-60 prospect or two but I’m not moving DFG bc you have Seaver and Willits ahead… or Perry bc you have Yoyo and Abi ahead.

Could not have said it better.

@NationalsSource Agreed. The most promising assets should be held and protected. Some assets with a bit of promise but blocked from advancement should be trade bait.

@GeneCutright It’s not and I bet he will add in some ways but he’s not going to go all in like some want that would be silly. No reason to move off of any sort of real assets right now.

@NationalsSource Agreed, but trying to have a winning campaign with a shot at making the postseason should not be an unreasonable ask for Nats fans.

@GeneCutright I hope he believes in his goal and not sacrificing off that for a tiny chance at a WC this year

@NationalsSource Hope Toboni believes sustained winning starts with the present.

@GeneCutright Grand scheme it’s not important. No one in that office went into this year pushing focus on winning this year it’s about sustained winning.

@NationalsSource Agreed, it is a small part of his overall responsibilities (and it may now belong to Ani), but it is not unimportant. Results, analysis and evaluations are done after every game.

@GeneCutright Oh he’s going to make moves like picking up some DFAs, maybe moving Perales to the pen, maybe extremely low level trades (along with a soft sell) but I doubt it’s his main focus and it shouldn’t be.