Drew Storen

Storen's 2016 could serve as a case study in reliever volatility. A year after he saved 29 games for the Nationals and struck out 11.0 per nine innings, he was traded to Toronto, stumbled there and wound up in a less important role with Seattle. In the end, he lost 2.6 batters from his K/9 and absorbed almost a two-run increase to his ERA, while also turning formerly fleeting problems with flyballs into a significant flaw. While his hefty velocity drop may signal further danger, the home-run issue looks a bit inflated, although a big correction is difficult to expect with the move to Great American Ball Park in 2017. Even with all this working against the 29-year-old, it's too soon to write Storen off. After all, he will have a chance to compete for the primary closer role in spring training.

After an awesome first half that saw Storen post a 1.89 ERA and 38:8 K:BB ratio in 33.1 innings and 27 saves in 29 opportunities, GM Mike Rizzo decided that the best way to bolster the bullpen for the stretch run would be to trade for Jonathan Papelbon and once again bump Storen back into a setup role. It marked the second time in Storen's Nats career that he was taken out of the closer spot despite excelling in it (he got deposed by the Rafael Soriano signing in the 2013 offseason as well). A frustrated Storen then struggled through August before punching a locker in September and ending his season with a broken thumb. A January trade saw Storen moved to Toronto, where he may finally get his extended run as a closer, though the team did not initially rule out a competition between Storen and Roberto Osuna for the ninth-inning job. Storen, with his mid-90s fastball and nasty slider, feels overqualified for a setup role at this point.

Three seasons after getting his first taste of the closer role, Storen finally regained his ninth-inning duties down the stretch in 2014 after Rafael Soriano fell apart. The young right-hander didn't disappoint, converting all 10 of his save chances in September while posting an exceptional 1.12 ERA and 0.98 WHIP on the season. While those rate stats aren't sustainable, he does seem poised for a successful 2015. Storen's K/9 rate dropped last year, but thanks to mechanical tweaks and increased usage of his changeup instead of his slider as a contrast to his 92-95 mph fastball, he was able to produce more groundballs and post a career-best 0.32 HR/9. Storen is far from a stable commodity after a bumpy ride through the first few seasons of his career. However, as long as he's able to keep attacking the bottom of the zone, he should be an effective closer for the Nationals.

Storen seemed to have trouble putting his 2012 postseason meltdown behind him, and the Rafael Soriano signing last offseason was one blow too many to his confidence. He struggled badly in a setup role, eventually getting demoted to Triple-A to try and right the ship, and while he pitched better after being called back up, a 15:6 K:BB ratio in 19.1 innings doesn't exactly indicate that he made it all the way back. Storen could still wind up back in the closer picture, especially if Soriano's fastball continues to lose its juice, but his future looks a lot more uncertain than it used to.

April surgery to remove a bone chip from his elbow cost Storen the first half of the season, and when he finally got back on the mound Tyler Clippard had the Nationals' closer job locked down so saves were in short supply. Storen had regained his spot by the end of the year though, and it looked like he was a reliable closer once again heading into 2013, but that was before the Nats surprisingly signed Rafael Soriano. His decreased strikeout rate in 2012 seems primarily due to a reluctance to throw his slider after the surgery, but he still posted great numbers only using his breaking pitch a quarter of the time rather than a third, so even if that reluctance turns into a long-term change in approach, Storen's ability should not take much of a hit. But with Soriano signed, his role is in a state of flux.

Storen pitched well in his first season as a full-time closer by improving his control and inducing more groundballs in 2011. He improved his first pitch strike percentage from 57 to 66 percent (eighth best among relievers), and he was fourth among relievers in shutdown appearances. Storen’s ERA did benefit from a .246 BABIP and 81.2 percent strand rate, but expect a similar ERA in 2012 since his HR/FB ratio will likely decrease. He features a 95-mph fastball and slider (84 mph) and should continue to generate 8.5-9.0 K/9IP as the Nats closer.

Storen might forever be known as the Nationals' "other" 2009 first rounder, but he did just fine on his own, riding his mid-90s fastball and slider to a solid 52:22 K:BB ratio in 55.1 big league innings. Although he's the club's closer of the future and was used in the role at the end of the season after the Matt Capps trade, Storen might not be handed the job right out of the gate in 2011. Tyler Clippard, especially, looms as the biggest threat to his save chances in the short term, but unless he falls flat Storen should get enough ninth-inning duty to deliver double-digit saves at least.

Lost in the Strasburg hoopla was the fact that the Nationals had two first-round picks, and Storen looked like an astute pickup in his pro debut, posting an eye-popping 37:2 K:BB ratio in 24.2 A-ball innings before tiring at the end of the season at Double-A. The Nationals have enough bullpen options that they don't need to rush him, but like his fellow first rounder, Storen's talent may set its own timetable in 2010. He's the team's closer of the future, but the future may come very quickly.