Making push for roster spot Ferrer could open the season in the Nationals' bullpen, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports. Impact The 23-year-old left-hander has yet to pitch above Double-A, but Ferrer was added to the 40-man roster in the offseason to protect him from the Rule 5 draft and has a 3:1 K:BB through 3.2 spring innings while seeing work early in Grapefruit League games in order to face big-league hitters. The Nationals don't have many healthy lefty relief options left in camp -- Ferrer's current competition is down to journeyman Anthony Banda and fellow relief prospect Matt Cronin -- and while Sean Doolittle (elbow) should be in the mix at some point, Ferrer seems as though he's done enough in camp to win a spot. He offers a fastball that's touched 97 mph along with a changeup and slider, and with Kyle Finnegan potentially headed for a high-leverage fireman role rather than being locked into the ninth inning as a traditional closer, whoever Washington's top bullpen lefty is could see some matchup-dependent save opportunities.
MARCH 15, 2023 • ROTOWIRE