Carl Edwards Jr. looks to repeat success in 2023
'Perfect place for me': Nats saved Edwards Jr.'s career
One thing is certain: right-hander Carl Edwards Jr. will be part of the Nationals’ bullpen this season -- and the team is hoping he remains consistent like he did last year.
In 2022, Edwards was arguably Washington’s best reliever, leading the bullpen in ERA (2.76) and finishing eighth on the team with 1.3 WAR.
It was a comeback season for Edwards, who would like to forget the previous three years, which were filled with injuries and inconsistency with the Cubs, Padres, Mariners, Braves and Blue Jays. Edwards couldn’t do much right, but he remembered something Nationals manager Dave Martinez told him in 2018 when he was with the Cubs: “If you are ever in a bind, we have a place for you [in Washington].”
At first, Edwards laughed. At the time, he was still going strong in Chicago.
Edwards' friendship with Martinez dates back to their days with the Cubs. Martinez was the bench coach and Edwards was a key figure out of the bullpen during the club's World Series title run in 2016.
Three years later, Edwards found himself in a bind. It looked like no one was interested in his services, but then he heard from Martinez who said, “Remember, I told you, ‘I got you, man. You got me.’”
The Nationals signed Edwards to a Minor League contract on March 8, 2022. His contract was selected by the team on May 10, and he hasn’t looked back. Every time the 31-year-old is on the mound, he thinks about Martinez and his teammates. That’s how badly he wants to win with the Nats.