Mike Rizzo on Aroldis Chapman, Jonathan Papelbon and new bullpen additions

The Nationals have attempted adding sexy pieces to their ballclub early this offseason, like their recent hot pursuit of free agent outfielder Jason Heyward. But general manager Mike Rizzo's biggest challenge over the winter months was overhauling a bullpen that stumbled mightily in a pennant race last season. So far, Rizzo has landed three relievers through free agency and two more via trade in the makeover.

But the biggest decision facing Rizzo is how to work through the mess at the back end of the Nationals bullpen. Jonathan Papelbon and Drew Storen are being shopped. Neither is here at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center for Winterfest. Rizzo said Papelbon had plans to be out of the country well before the dates of Winterfest were established and that Storen also had prior commitments. It may have been good for the Nationals to pay for Papelbon to re-book his trip and have him sit in a dunk booth for the fans this weekend. Seriously, it could've created some good will.

In any event, Reds closer Aroldis Chapman was a Nationals trade target heading into the offseason to take Papelbon's spot. The Dodgers reportedly beat the Nats to the chase, trading for Chapman on Tuesday during the Winter Meetings in Nashville. But that deal was scrapped later in the day after a report surfaced involving Chapman in a domestic violence dispute with his girlfriend.

The Reds are in a holding pattern with regard to trade talks with Chapman as the authorities and Major League Baseball investigate the allegations. Rizzo said this afternoon that the Nationals have halted their pursuit of Chapman - for now.

"It's changed, obviously, with the allegations against him," Rizzo said. "It's something that we're not going to continue to go after until we find out how things have happened. It's something that we don't want to get into that because of the allegations against him. There's plenty of other targets that we have and we're going to move onto those."

Meanwhile, Rizzo's big move so far was shipping infielder Yunel Escobar to the Angels in return for right-hander Trevor Gott and minor league righty Michael Brady. Gott went 4-2 with a 3.02 ERA and 1.23 WHIP in 48 appearances for the Angels last season after making his major league debut on June 14. The 23-year-old fanned 27 with 16 walks over 47 2/3 innings.

"Trevor Gott is a very aggressive, young, controllable right-handed pitcher," Rizzo said. "He's got mid-to-upper 90s velocity. He's got movement on his fastball. We took a good look at his delivery and the way he attacks hitters and it was something that we really liked. We think that he's gonna be a major factor for us not only this year, but down the road, too.

The first free agent reliever Rizzo inked was left-hander Oliver Perez to a two-year deal. Perez, a 13-year veteran, was 2-4 with a 4.17 ERA in 70 appearances for the Diamondbacks and Astros in 2015. The former starter pitched much better in Arizona before his trade to Houston, going 2-1 with a 3.10 ERA and 37 strikeouts in 29 innings.

"He's a veteran presence, a guy that's got tons of experience," Rizzo said. "He knows several of our players and will fit into our clubhouse. Really good left-on-left guy, and if he falls back to where he was two years ago, he was good against both sides of the plate. He's just a good veteran arm to go with some of our young electric arms and we feel that he'll be a good fit for us."

Rizzo's next piece to the bullpen was free agent right-hander Shawn Kelley, who inked a three-year contract after posting a 2.45 ERA with 63 strikeouts and 15 walks in 51 1/3 innings over 53 appearances for the Padres last season. The seven-year veteran has undergone two Tommy John surgeries - the first in 2003 and then again in 2010. The 31-year-old has pitched for the Mariners, Yankees and Padres.

"Kelley is another aggressive right-handed pitcher that attacks hitters," Rizzo said. "He's got a really good sinking fastball and a wipeout slider and a guy who's pitched leverage innings for different teams. He's proved that he could do it in big markets like New York City and he was great with the Padres. We liked what we saw when he pitched against us at times. Our scouts really like his demeanor and his aggressive nature on the mound."

The latest addition to the bullpen is veteran right-hander Yusmeiro Petit, who went 1-1 with a 3.67 ERA in 41 relief appearances and one start for the Giants in 2015. Nationals fans know Petit well from the 2014 National League Division Series. Petit shutout the Nats from the 12th inning through the 17th, allowing just one hit, to claim the win in the infamous game. As a former starter, Petit is seen a long relief replacement for Craig Stammen.

"He's a terrific major league pitcher," Rizzo said of Petit. "He's a good swing guy. He started games for a world championship team. He has pitched leverage innings in playoffs. He is battle-tested and really gives the manager a lot of freedom and diversity. He can start. He can relieve. He can pitch multiple innings out of the bullpen. He can spot start for you and he can be in the rotation for you."

Rizzo said the Petit signing is pending a physical.