Colin Poche DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

The Washington Nationals selected the contract of left-hander Colin Poche on Saturday, adding him to their 40-man roster ahead of Opening Day next Thursday. Poche wasn't anything special during his 4 2/3 innings in the Grapefruit League this spring, giving up four earned runs, but the 31-year-old veteran southpaw will give the Nats some experience in their bullpen to begin the year. In a likely middle-relief role in Washington, Poche isn't going to have much fantasy appeal at all, although he did have a solid 3.27 ERA (4.16 FIP), a 1.13 WHIP, 10 saves, 158 strikeouts and 59 walks in 156 2/3 innings over 174 relief appearances for the Tampa Bay Rays over the last three seasons. He's also added 17 wins and 65 holds since the start of the 2022 season, so don't count him out as an under-the-radar contributor in holds leagues.

The Washington Nationals agreed on a minor-league deal with an invitation to spring training with free-agent left-hander Colin Poche on Friday. Poche heads to the National League East after spending the last three years with the Tampa Bay Rays, where he went 17-7 with a 3.27 ERA (4.16 FIP), 1.13 WHIP, 10 saves, 158 strikeouts and 59 walks in 156 2/3 innings over 174 relief appearances. The 31-year-old southpaw appeared in 43 games out of the bullpen last year and sported a 3.86 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, two saves, 33 strikeouts and 13 walks in 37 1/3 frames. The veteran reliever also had 65 holds over the last three seasons and certainly has enough experience to win an Opening Day spot in Washington's bullpen, especially when considering the lack of proven options they have. Poche could be a sleeper for holds in deeper fantasy formats in D.C.

The Tampa Bay Rays reinstated left-hander Colin Poche (shoulder) from the 15-day injured list on Monday and optioned right-hander Cole Sulser to Triple-A Durham in a corresponding move. Inflammation in Poche's left shoulder has kept him out in September to this point, but he will skip a minor-league rehab assignment and return to Tampa's big-league bullpen to close out the 2024 season. The 30-year-old southpaw will return to a 1-2 record, 3.67 ERA (5.15 FIP), a 1.14 WHIP, two saves, 31 strikeouts and 13 walks in his 34 1/3 relief innings in 2024 over 39 appearances. The Rays are currently rolling with a closer-by-committee approach involving Edwin Uceta, Manuel Rodriguez and Richard Lovelady late in the year, and Poche could enter that mix now that he's healthy. Fantasy managers desperate for saves this late in the game could take a flier on Poche in deep leagues.