According to multiple media reports, the Washington Nationals and veteran left-handed relief pitcher Luis Avilan have agreed to a minor league deal for the 2021 season.
Avilan, a well-traveled lefty specialist who appeared in 10 games with the New York Yankees in 2020, was released from the Bronx Bombers after a late August shoulder injury.
The Venezuela native has been a consistent member of a Major League bullpen since making his MLB debut in 2012 with the Atlanta Braves, appearing in at least 27 games in each season since the, with the exception of the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign.
The owner of a career 3.30 ERA, Avilan figures to be a good bet to make a beleaguered Nationals bullpen if he proves that he is healthy during Spring Training in February and March.
The Nationals had a 4.68 bullpen ERA in the 2020 season, building off of a 2019 season in which their bullpen almost cost them a World Series crown. Avilan is expected to step in and provide a quality left-handed option if he can prove that he is past the shoulder inflammation which prematurely ended his 2020 campaign.
Expect Avilan to be present and ready to compete for a job when pitchers and catchers report in February 2021 to Nationals camp.
