Rodriguez earned a chance next spring, but in what role?

As our offseason coverage kicks into high gear, we're going to review each significant player on the Nationals roster. We continue today with Jefry Rodriguez, who surprisingly made his major league debut this year and quickly made a name for himself.

PLAYER REVIEW: JEFRY RODRIGUEZ

Age on opening day 2019: 25

How acquired: Signed as international free agent, January 2012

MLB service time: 52 days

2018 salary: $545,000

Contract status: Under club control through 2021, arbitration-eligible in 2022, free agent in 2025

2018 stats: 3-3, 5.71 ERA, 14 G, 8 GS, 0 CG, 52 IP, 43 H, 35 R, 33 ER, 8 HR, 37 BB, 39 SO, 3 HBP, 1.538 WHIP, -0.5 fWAR, -0.2 bWAR

Quotable: "He'll come to spring training and definitely get an opportunity to do something for us, whether it's to start or maybe even pitch in the bullpen. But he's definitely earned the right to be there and get a close look at him and see what happens." - Davey Martinez

2018 analysis: After serving a lengthy PED suspension in 2017, Rodriguez came to his first big league camp this spring and turned some heads with his electric fastball-slider combo. He figured to make his major league debut sometime during the season, but that debut came sooner than anticipated (June 3) and in an unfamiliar role (emergency reliever after Jeremy Hellickson sprained his ankle two batters into a start in Atlanta).

Rodriguez proceeded to toss 4 2/3 scoreless innings of relief, and though he was sent back to the minors after that, the performance earned him several more looks over the course of the summer. His outings were erratic, with some impressive starts (several against the Braves) and some others where he didn't look like he was ready for the task.

Rodriguez got more of a regular look late in the season, including four relief appearances in late September, designed both to limit his heavy innings load as well as an opportunity for club officials to see how the lanky right-hander fared as a bullpen weapon.

2019 outlook: Though he didn't show enough to guarantee a spot on next year's pitching staff, Rodriguez did show enough to guarantee a chance to earn a spot next spring. The biggest question the Nationals now face is whether to stick with him as a starter or consider a regular role out of the bullpen.

It's tempting to try to maximize Rodriguez's high-90s fastball and sharp slider in a starting role, but he's going to have to get much more comfortable with his changeup - and get much more consistent with his fastball command - to make it long-term as a starter.

As a reliever, Rodriguez would have a better chance of being successful with only two consistent pitches, and he'd be free to dial up his fastball from the outset instead of trying to conserve stamina for a five- or six-inning start. But he's far from a sure thing in either role at this point.