Nationals Promoting Fernando Rodney and Jonny Venters in Trevor Rosenthal's Place Feels Wild

The Washington Nationals just shuffled up the bullpen with a transaction involving three veteran relievers, a move that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago.

The Nationals have promoted both Fernando Rodney and Jonny Venters from the minors as replacements for Trevor Rosenthal, who was let go by the organization after one of the worst relief pitching seasons ever.

That just sounds like something that only happens in a franchise simulation in a video game. Just a few years ago, having all three on the same team would have been borderline unfair.

Consider this: Venters made the All-Star Game in 2011, Rodney did in 2012 and Rosenthal posted a 2.78 ERA in his rookie year with St. Louis. They were some of the best relievers in baseball not too long ago.

Now, each of them sports an ERA north of of 9.00. Rosenthal and Venters actually have 22.74 and 17.36 ERAs respectively in 2019. All three were booted off of the teams they started the season with, and as their age catches up to them, they find themselves on their last legs.

Venters, 34, and Rodney, 42, are basically being used as fodder. The Nationals are throwing them into the fire in the hopes that one (or both) of them isn't entirely awful. Washington's bullpen is dead last in ERA, as their relievers have combined for an unsightly 6.29 ERA, so at this point, anything with a pulse could be a boost to the team.

The trio of relievers have all fallen so catastrophically from grace, and in the process, the Nats have produced one of the most unlikely bullpen moves of the past few years.