{"id":12842,"date":"2016-08-22T11:08:19","date_gmt":"2016-08-22T15:08:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nationalsarmrace.com\/?p=12842"},"modified":"2016-08-22T11:08:19","modified_gmt":"2016-08-22T15:08:19","slug":"do-the-nats-have-a-loogy-problem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nationalsarmrace.com\/?p=12842","title":{"rendered":"Do the Nats have a LOOGY problem?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Can<\/a>

Can we count on this guy in October? Photo via getty images<\/p><\/div>\n

We’ve clearly seen some middle relief issues lately, despite nearly sweeping a 4-game set in Atlanta this past weekend. \u00a0And one of the issues we’ve been continually discussing is our left-handed relief options.<\/p>\n

We traded\u00a0Felipe Rivero<\/strong>. \u00a0Oliver Perez<\/strong> has a 5.61 ERA<\/a>. \u00a0Sammy Solis<\/strong> just had an MRI on his left shoulder. \u00a0Matt Grace<\/strong> has nice looking AAA numbers, but got shellacked last year (2.00 whip in 26 innings) during a brief call-up. \u00a0Nick Lee<\/strong> was so ineffective this year that he passed completely through waivers when we DFA’d him off the 40-man. \u00a0We just paid cash for twice-TJ survivor and ex Nat\u00a0Sean Burnett<\/strong>, whose AAA numbers look good but is now on his fourth organization of 2016.<\/p>\n

Do we have a LOOGY problem?<\/p>\n

Well, maybe.<\/p>\n

I constantly have to remind myself of this sentence: “You don’t have to be left-handed in order to get lefties out.” \u00a0That and this sentence: “If your lefty splits are good … then you’re still a good LOOGY option.”<\/p>\n

Here’s the 2016 versus lefty splits\u00a0for every reliever on our 40-man, RHP or LHP. \u00a0And then lets add in some of the call-up candidates just for fun… (all numbers as of 8\/21\/16’s Atlanta game via baseball-reference.com):<\/p>\n

Right Handed reliever options<\/p>\n