Nats still discussing relievers on trade deadline day

MIAMI - It's officially July 31, and that means we're now talking about the non-wiaver trade deadline in terms of hours instead of days. The final countdown to 4 p.m. Eastern time has begun.

The Nationals, like all 30 clubs, will be engaged in conversations all day, seeing if there's a last-minute deal to be made. But let's be honest: They've probably already made their biggest trade of the summer.

The Ryan Madson-Sean Doolittle deal, which was finalized 15 days ago, may not have registered around baseball as a true blockbuster, but it was a major trade for the Nats. No, neither guy had a longstanding track record as a proven closer, but both guys had significant experience pitching late in games.

And as we've already seen in the last two week, they've made a big difference. Madson has made five appearances so far for the Nationals and has yet to surrender a run, has been credited with three holds and a win and has retired 14 of the 18 batters he has faced. Doolittle has been a bit shakier, allowing four earned runs in five innings, but he's 3-for-3 in save opportunities and has shown he can get outs when he really needs them.

But the difference extends beyond the two relievers the Nationals acquired. Since the trade was made, the Nats bullpen has posted a collective 3.46 ERA and 1.22 WHIP, holding opponents to a .215 batting average and .642 OPS. No inherited runners have scored. No leads have been blown.

In short, the Nationals bullpen has been stabilized. Has it suddenly been transformed from the worst bullpen in the majors to one of the best? No. But it's a whole lot better than it was.

And it could be even better by the end of the day. Or within the next couple weeks.

The Nationals do continue to hold trade conversations about relievers, sources familiar with their dealings said, and if there's another move to be made before 4 p.m. today it's more likely to involve a reliever than anything else.

Despite some talk about adding another starter, general manager Mike Rizzo appears to be comfortable with his rotation as it stands, believing Stephen Strasburg won't miss significant time with his latest elbow injury. Edwin Jackson's performance in two of his three starts has helped soften the blow, and despite an uninspiring final line the club was generally encouraged with Erick Fedde's performance in his major league debut Sunday.

Offensively, the Nationals appear to be set. Friday night's trade for Howie Kendrick addressed the need for another right-handed bench bat, one that can fill in as a regular left fielder until Jayson Werth returns from his fractured left foot. With Werth, Trea Turner and Michael A. Taylor all expected to come off the disabled list sometime in August, the Nats believe their lineup and bench are in good shape for the stretch run.

So if there's another move to be made it probably will come in the bullpen. The odds of the Nationals landing an elite closer are slim-to-none - the Orioles aren't dealing Zach Britton to D.C. - but there do remain some quality late-inning arms on the market.

That market has thinned some in the last 24 hours, though, with the Tigers sending Justin Wilson to the Cubs and the Mets sending Addison Reed to the Red Sox. But a few potential relievers on the Nationals' radar do remain: the Padres' Brad Hand, the Twins' Brandon Kintzler, the Blue Jays' Joe Smith, the Cardinals' Trevor Rosenthal.

None of those guys would take over as Nationals closer, but any of them would join Madson and Doolittle in creating a formidable late-inning trio for Dusty Baker the rest of the way.

And as always, don't just assume any deal has to be made today. August trades, which require players involved to pass through waivers, are not uncommon. The Nats picked up Matt Thornton (2014) and Marc Rzepczynski (2016) in that fashion, and both lefties proved valuable members of postseason bullpens.

If Rizzo doesn't strike one more deal before 4 p.m. today, don't be surprised if he still finds a way to make one in the next week or two.