Who will fill out the starting rotation with Gray, Corbin, and Williams likely set?
Tuesday’s 5-0 win over the Mets was anything but uneventful. With two outs in the bottom of the 3rd inning, right-hander Cade Cavalli threw what appeared to be a changeup. He immediately showed discomfort in his right elbow. Discomfort for Cavalli became a significant blow to the Nationals when GM Mike Rizzo announced that Cavalli had suffered a Grade 3 UCL sprain, which will require Tommy John surgery.
So what does Cavalli’s injury mean for the Washington Nationals’ rotation heading into the 2023 season?
The Nationals were expected to go into 2023 with a young majority rotation, led by 3rd-year starter Josiah Gray and two veteran arms, left-hander Patrick Corbin and newly acquired right-hander Trevor Williams. Cavalli was expected to be in the middle of the rotation. But now it’s a good bet that Trevor Williams will move into the #4 spot.
There are other options, too. Here are three.
RHP Chad Kuhl: Kuhl, who spent five seasons with Pittsburgh and the 2022 season in Colorado, signed a Minor League contract with the Nationals in early February. He has a career 4.74 ERA in 127 games, striking out 505 in 576.2 innings pitched, and Manager Davey Martinez has expressed interest in having the 30-year-old, 6-year MLB vet slide into the 5th spot. But the right-handed pitcher struggled in the spring (8.59 ERA, averaging 11.0 H9).
RHP Paolo Espino: Another option for Washington is right-hander Paolo Espino, who spent the last three seasons in Washington. He had a solid 2022 season with Washington with a 4.84 ERA and a Ground Ball percentage of 38.8%. However, while Espino has performed well with the Nationals, those good appearances have primarily come from the bullpen. Espino’s arsenal consists mainly of a fastball averaging around 89 MPH and a curveball averaging 71 MPH.
RHP Anibal Sanchez: I’m sure many Nationals’ fans don’t want to hear this, but Anibal Sanchez has a good chance at pitching for the club in 2023. Sanchez appeared in 14 games for the Nats in 2022 with a 4.28 ERA and WHIP of 1.269. The exceptionally experienced Sanchez is a 16-year MLB vet who made his mark with the Detroit Tigers (2012 to 2017) and the Nationals when Washington made its 2019 World Series run. A non-participant in 2021, Sanchez signed a minor league deal with DC in 2022 and made the Opening Day roster. So, fans, like it or not, Anibal Sanchez is a name to look for.
