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Just minutes after reportedly trading Yunel Escobar to the Angels for reliever Trevor Gott and a minor leaguer, the Nationals made another addition to their bullpen.
Shawn Kelley signing saga is complete. Agrees to 3-year deal with #nationals. Total payout in the $15-16M neighborhood.
— Jerry Crasnick (@jcrasnick) December 10, 2015
Kelley, a 31 year old reliever, pitched 51.1 innings last season and posted an ERA of 2.45, and an FIP of 2.57. He also produced a K/9 of 11.05, a BB/9 of 2.63, and a pristine HR/9 of 0.70.
It's somewhat surprising to see that Kelley will only receive an AAV close to $5 million considering what Ryan Madson and Joakim Soria signed for; 3-years $22 million and 3-years $25 million, respectively.
| 2013-2015 | IP | K/9 | BB/9 | HR/9 | ERA | FIP | fWAR |
| Ryan Madson | 63.1 | 8.24 | 1.99 | 0.71 | 2.13 | 3.09 | 0.9 |
| Joakim Soria | 135.2 | 9.29 | 2.59 | 0.80 | 2.99 | 3.18 | 2.0 |
| Shawn Kelley | 156.1 | 11.57 | 3.34 | 0.98 | 3.80 | 3.08 | 2.3 |
The Nationals now have two new pieces for their bullpen in 2016 and beyond, which could potentially lead to a trade of either Drew Storen, or Jonathan Papelbon; as the Nationals are reportedly looking to trade both.