What to do with Detwiler?

As I mentioned yesterday, we shouldn't expect to hear much news about Nationals players being non-tendered this offseason.

The Nationals have 11 arbitration-eligible players (a list that you can find here), and are expected to tender contracts to pretty much all of them.

The only real question mark, in my mind, is Ross Detwiler.

Detwiler, a No. 6 overall pick of the Nats in the 2007 draft, has had a bit of an up-and-down last few seasons. In 2012, he established himself as a legitimate major league starter, working 164 1/3 innings, posting a 3.40 ERA and notching double-digit wins. He got the start in a must-win Game 4 of the National League Division Series and delivered a gem, working six innings and allowing just an unearned run on three hits.

After getting off to a strong start in 2013, Detwiler battled a back injury that caused him to miss the entire second half of the season. Then this spring, the left-hander was told he'd be working out of the bullpen, not the rotation, and he ended up getting the ball mostly when the Nationals were well ahead or well behind, not the high-leverage situations that the Nats had originally hoped he would be slotted for.

Twenty-three of Detwiler's 47 appearances this season came with the margin at four or more runs when he entered the game.

Detwiler's season then had a disappointing end from a personal perspective, as he was left off the Nats' postseason roster for the NLDS, leaving him as an observer for the series against the Giants.

So what do the Nats do with Detwiler going forward?

Well, the 28-year-old is due to make a raise over the $3 million he earned in 2014 in his final year of arbitration, leaving the Nats with a couple of questions: Do they tender Detwiler a contract, knowing he'll make somewhere around $4 million? And then if they do, do they keep the lefty on the roster for 2015?

I wrote yesterday that Detwiler still holds a good bit of value, and that's definitely the case. He's left-handed, he's shown that he can be a solid starting pitching option, and he also has experience working out of the 'pen. There are plenty of teams out there who could use a player like that, and so even if the Nats don't see a role on their club for Detwiler in 2015, they could tender him a contract and shop him.

Not every team has its starting rotation for next season all but locked in right now, as the Nats do. In fact, most don't.

That said, don't assume Detwiler is definitely gone. Having him around as a left-handed long man and insurance for the rotation isn't too bad of an option, as well. The price tag might be a little high if Detwiler ends up mostly working when a game is a bit lopsided, but the Nats could end up going that route.

We'll see how the Nats choose to play it. For now, Detwiler's future is up in the air.