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With several players reaching free agency and others that could potentially be traded, the Washington Nationals’ bullpen could undergo an overhaul this offseason, reports Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post:
The Nationals could undergo something of an overhaul in their bullpen. It’s not a certainty, but they have plenty of potentially moving parts.
Left-hander Sean Burnett is expected to decline his portion of the $3.5 million mutual option for the 2013 season. While he has said he’d like to re-sign with the Nationals, he will likely command a hefty contract on the free agent market as a southpaw with his track record.
Right-hander Tyler Clippard can still be under contract for next season, but Kilgore wonders if he’d be more valuable as a trade chip. No reliever in baseball has pitched more innings over the past three years than the 27-year-old.
The Nationals signed left-hander Mike Gonzalez after the 2012 campaign began, and the veteran turned in an impressive season in D.C. He will become a free agent once again, but Kilgore says the Nationals should be interested in re-signing him.
After deciding which in-house options they’d like to retain and which they’d rather part ways with, Kilgore believes Washington could target right-hander Ryan Madson, who’s set to hit the open market once again if the Cincinnati Reds decline their portion of his $11 million mutual option. Kilgore says the 32-year-old would add a tested arm in the back of the Nationals’ bullpen.