The Washington Nationals were able to add a fourth top-100 prospect this offseason when the front office agreed to an early December deal with the Seattle Mariners that sent Jose Ferrer away in exchange for minor league pitcher Isaac Lyon and catcher Harry Ford, who checks in as the 71st-best prospect in baseball and third-best in the Nationals’ farm system, per MLB.com. While the addition of Ford gives the Nationals a possible Keibert Ruiz replacement in 2026 while adding a long-term answer, the other side of the trade adds to the list of question marks for the front office ahead of Opening Day.

Kyle Finnegan notched 20 saves in 40 appearances before being traded to the Detroit Tigers midseason, leading Jose Ferrer to step in where he made 11 saves the rest of the season. But with Ferrer now gone, who could the new staff turn to?

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The free agent market is razor thin heading into February after a handful of capable options came off the board in recent weeks. Veteran Tommy Kahnle is one available free agent who posted nine saves with the Detroit Tigers in 2025, finishing with a 4.43 ERA across 66 games, but he faded through the second half of the season after throwing in the most innings (63) since his rookie season with the Colorado Rockies.

President of baseball operations Paul Toboni made clear that both starting pitching and first base are areas of focus, it’s becoming increasingly clear that the Nationals will look internally to fill its vacancy at closer while figuring out the bullpen. The two candidates to replace Ferrer are clear, but who emerges between them is the question.

Right hander Clayton Beeter could enter spring training with the upper hand. After becoming a midseason acquisition in the trade that sent Amed Rosario to the New York Yankees, Beeter drew his largest volume of work since arriving in the major after tossing 32 strikeouts and posting a 2.49 ERA across 21.2 innings and 24 appearances. His 32.9% whiff rate finished 34th among pitchers with at least 20 innings pitched in 2025, while he’s averaging a 31.9% strikeout rate over his two seasons in the MLB. With a fastball in the upper 90s, his slider led to a 49.1% whiff rate in 2025. His experience is limited, but there’s appeal as an internal option where he can step up as the 2026 replacement.

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His primary competition remains right hander Cole Henry, who will look to put together a complete season after a strong start and cold end. After being limited to the minors with injuries a major factor along the way, the former second-round pick in 2018 stepped into a rotational role after being promoted in 2025 where he posted 52 strikeouts against 32 walks in over 52 innings pitched and 57 appearances. He also drew a pair of saves while posting a 4.27 ERA, but his slide through September – including four runs earned in one combined inning pitched across his final three games – sparked the jump to end the regular season.

Could a wildcard candidate like Cole Henry or PJ Poulin emerge as a midseason option? Maybe, but unlikely. Which way the Nationals go remains to be seen as new pitching coach Simon Matthews, who joins the organization after nearly five seasons with the Cincinnati Reds, looks to finalize his staff ahead of Opening Day. Washington is coming off a 2025 season where the bullpen finished last in baseball with a 5.59 ERA and 1.52 WHIP with Matthews and manager Blake Butera looking to turn the page behind its offseason investment into development and upgraded technology.