The waiver claim of Paxton Schultz continues an interesting trend for the Washington Nationals. They now have quite a few pitchers that profile well in a multi-inning relief role. This makes me think that the Nats may get creative in how they use their pitchers in 2026.
Last season, the Nats used a standard five man rotation and a conventional bullpen structure. The rotation changed based on who was available, but the Nats plan was to have their starters go at least five innings if possible. Based on the makeup of the pitching staff, that may change in 2026. We wrote about this concept about a month ago.
With a more analytical mind in Paul Toboni running the show, the Nats might get more creative in how they distribute innings. I have a feeling they will use two long relief types to get through six innings much more this season. They have the arms to do this and this strategy might be the best way to maximize them.
Paxton Schultz is a perfect example of this. Last season, he made 13 appearances and two starts. He got more than three outs in 8 of his 13 outings. Schultz spent most of his Minor League career as a starter, before becoming a swingman in 2024. He has a four pitch mix that allows him to go through a lineup more than once as well. Schultz is just a Swiss Army Knife type of an arm.
If you need three outs in the middle innings, Schultz can do that. If you need a mop up guy, Schultz can be your man. If you need a spot start, Schultz can do that as well. He will not blow you away, but in a 162 game season, you need out getters. When you do not have a great rotation, these types of arms are valuable. Paul Toboni seems to understand this well.
Brad Lord is another example of a guy who can do the same sort of stuff. He is a better option to start games than Schultz, but he also has bullpen experience. Last season, Lord made 48 appearances, with 19 being starts. His numbers were better in the bullpen, but he also held his own in the rotation.
Like Schultz, Lord can just be a chess piece on a pitching staff. He can float between the rotation and the bullpen, filling both roles admirably. In the modern game, this skillset is more valuable than ever. Only top of the rotation type arms tend to go deep in the game these days, so you need to find a way to fill innings.
I can envision the Nats just going into some random Tuesday night game, and asking Lord to give them four innings and Schultz deliver two innings. That is almost as good as a starter giving you six innings.
Another guy I could see doing this is Andrew Alvarez. He was very impressive in his five MLB starts, posting a 2.31 ERA. However, he did not go very deep into his starts. Alvarez relies on deception and fooling hitters. This leads to deeper counts and a high pitch count. It also makes him less effective when hitters see him more.
However, Alvarez is good at fooling hitters for three or four innings. If you pair him with another multi-inning reliever, you can get six solid innings. Of course, you cannot do this every game and need guys to give length.
MacKenzie Gore can do that if he is not traded. He may not deliver seven innings, but he will usually give you five or six. Jake Irvin is also a classic innings eater. Hopefully Cade Cavalli can take a step and be a difference making starter as well. He has the stuff and the frame, but has had injury and consistency issues.
Mitchell Parker and maybe Trevor Williams when he returns are also candidates to fill this bulk role as well. The Nats pitching staff is short on proven commodities, and certainly will not be a strength as currently constructed. However, I have faith in the front office to make the unit better than it was last year.
Between improved player development and creative deployment, I trust this regime to get the most out of what they have. It will be far from perfect, but I have faith that there will be steps in the right direction. Eventually, the Nats will need to go all in on acquiring top line starting pitching, but let’s cross that bridge when we get there.
