Changed Cole wants to lay claim to fifth starter's job

Some players trying to carve out a spot on a 25-man roster get frustrated by riding the shuttle between Triple-A and the majors, their role changing on a whim because of a parent club's immediate needs. Nationals right-hander A.J. Cole has used his frequent trips between Syracuse, N.Y., and Washington, D.C., as a motivational tool.

"It always gives you little extra fight in there because you are going back and forth between Triple-A and the big leagues," Cole said at Nationals Winterfest. "You got a different ball, you got a different zone, you are throwing to different people. I think it's a lot harder going down and back up, down and then back up. I feel like that was harder than going from a starting rotation to a 'pen in the big leagues at the end of the year. But that's just me from going back and forth."

Now, after going posting a 2.85 ERA in his final five starts of 2017, the 26-year-old Cole is on the precipice of the fifth spot in the Nationals rotation. Not a swingman role requiring him to be ready to start or pitch in relief. Not staying at Triple-A until someone gets hurt or pitches poorly enough to make a move necessary.

The top four spots in the starting five are pretty much set in stone, and all that's left is figuring out who will be the fifth starter. General manager Mike Rizzo insists he is happy with his list of in-house options and doesn't need to trade for or sign a veteran to fill out the back end. Cole and rookie Erick Fedde are basically the only two names on that list. And with Cole out of options - meaning he can't be sent to the minors without being first exposed to waivers - it's a good bet he heads north, unless he underwhelms at spring training.

Cole is aware of the opportunity that awaits him when the Nationals convene in West Palm Beach for spring training in February. But with a career 4-7 record and 4.52 ERA in 22 games (17 starts) over parts of three seasons, he isn't getting ahead of himself.

"Yes, I would love to be that fifth spot right now and progress on," he said. "But if they need me in the 'pen or something like that, I will do that, as well."

Last winter, Cole made a conscious effort to put some weight on his 6-foot-5 frame, and the decision proved beneficial. He no longer looks like a string bean with a uniform hanging off of him, and the added pounds translated into increased durability and strength.

"When I put on some weight," he said, "it really helped me keep my stamina up, keep my strength up and help me progress through the season so I didn't have to worry about, 'Oh, my body's tired.' I was just able to go after it and do what I needed to do to get people out."

Getting more regular work over the final six weeks of the regular season helped, too. No longer yo-yoing between Triple-A and the majors, he was able to maintain a more singular focus.

"Yeah, I feel like the consistency really helped," Cole said. "The more you throw, the more consistent you can get, the more you learn up there. Getting the chances to throw to big league hitters and being up there to watch the other pitchers and everything like that, you just get better each time you go out."

By increasing his strength, Cole noticed an uptick in his velocity.

"In the past, I wasn't throwing as hard in the big leagues, just having that stamina there," he said. "And then being able to just go after the hitters with all my stuff. A lot of my stuff was working really well. I've been working on it, fine-tuning it, getting all my pitches to work and being able to throw it any time, any count."

But a pitcher cannot rely on velocity alone, and Cole has worked diligently to refine his changeup. Having a fourth pitch to go along with a four-seam fastball, slider and curve would be a big boon to his success as a starting pitcher. Being able to throw the changeup to both left- and right-handed hitters would make it more difficult for batters to gameplan what is coming.

"I used to throw my changeup a lot and I've gotten away from it and I'm trying to get that back," Cole said. "It's a great pitch to have to both lefties and righties. And I throw it a lot to lefties this year and not to righties. I'm trying to bring that back and have the confidence and everything to throw that any time in the count to a righty, as well."

Like most players fighting for a roster spot, Cole has spent a lot of time watching more experienced pitchers and how they carry themselves. It's not just about emulating grips and mechanics; it's a case of fitting in to the pitching staff, a challenge every hurler has to meet.

"I feel like I have come a long way and really been watching the older guys and just other people and how they go after the game, and I feel like I've done a pretty good job at it," Cole said. "This year, I'm trying to have that fifth spot. I'm trying to just be ready for whatever they need me as."