After a month spent tinkering and trying out different candidates, the Nationals may have found a reliable setup man at last in Aaron Barrett. Now, they just have to make sure they don’t run the right-hander into the ground from too much use.
Barrett has become among the Nationals’ effective relievers, sporting a 1.59 ERA and 0.794 WHIP in 14 appearances to date. And manager Matt Williams has begun turning to him when needing to protect an eighth-inning lead, including Saturday and Sunday during 1-0 victories in New York.
“I think success helps,” Williams said. “The fact that he’s been able to hold them and get an out when we needed it, it helps him out, and that speaks to his confidence.