The Nationals added four players on minor league deals, so let's quickly go over them since I cover all Nationals transactions. It is my belief that "there is no such thing as a bad minor league deal," so extra depth is always good. Of the four, Jacob Turner is has the best chance to make an impact. The former first round pick has not even come close to realizing the potential the Tigers saw in him when they drafted him ninth overall in 2009 (with players such as Mike Trout, Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado, Kyle Seager, Jason Kipnis, Dallas Keuchel, Brian Dozier, etc. still on the table). He came closest in 2013, when he went 3-8 with a 3.74 ERA and a 1.44 WHIP over 20 starts for the Marlins, but after a rough go in 2014 (6-11, 6.13 ERA, 1.60 WHIP), he missed all of 2015, then struggled in limited action in 2016. Over 18 games (2 starts) for the White Sox, he went 1-2 with a 6.57 ERA and a 1.99 WHIP, putting up an ugly 18/16 strikeout to walk ratio in 24.2 innings. Still, he's just 26 years old, and he could be a late bloomer if you look at the glass half-full, as he has put up significantly better numbers in the bullpen (2.91 ERA, 1.52 WHIP in 18 career relief appearances versus 5.22 ERA, 1.50 WHIP in 53 starts). For his career, the St. Louis area native is 12-27 with a 5.09 ERA and a 1.51 WHIP over 79 games (53 starts) for the Tigers, Marlins, Cubs, and White Sox.
Emmanuel Burriss, who attended Woodrow Wilson High School in northwest Washington, D.C., is no stranger to the Nationals' organization. He played 211 games for the Nationals' AAA affiliate, the Syracuse Chiefs, from 2014-2015, and appeared in five games for the Nationals during the 2015 season. He doesn't have much power to speak of, but he is a speedy utility guy who could provide the Nationals with depth at every position now that Danny Espinosa has been traded. For his career, the former Kent State Golden Flash has one home run, 42 RBI, a .237 average, and 41 stolen bases over 326 games since 2008.
Mike Broadway is a longtime farmhand who made his major league debut in 2015 at the age of 28. He pitched decently well out of the Giants bullpen that year, putting up a 5.19 ERA and a 1.56 WHIP over 21 appearances, striking out 13 and walking just one in 17.1 innings of work. He wasn't as good last year, making just four appearances for San Francisco and putting up an 11.81 ERA and a 1.88 WHIP. He'll be AAA bullpen depth who could get called up in the case of injury to a primary Nationals reliever. For his career, the southern Illinois native is 0-2 with a 6.75 ERA and a 1.63 WHIP over 25 appearances, all with the Giants.
Lastly, Tim Collins is an intriguing signing. The 5'7" lefty hasn't pitched since 2014, having sat out both the 2015 and 2016 seasons with a pair of Tommy John surgeries. He may not be ready for the start of the 2017 season, but once he's back, the Nationals have a potential gem here. With the Royals from 2011-2014, he was dominant out the bullpen, putting up a 3.54 ERA, a 1.40 WHIP, and 220 strikeouts in 211 innings over 228 appearances. His best year came in 2012, when he put up a 3.36 ERA, a 1.28 WHIP, and 93 strikeouts in just 69.2 innings over 72 appearances. Still, after four big league seasons then two years recovering from a pair of Tommy John surgeries, he's just 27 years old, and he could end up being the Nationals' lefty set-up man in 2017.
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