The Nationals have released and re-signed right-handers Bronson Arroyo and Burke Badenhop, according to a club announcement. Both players had joined the team on minor league deals over the winter, and have now agreed to new minor league pacts to stay in the organization.
The moves were made because of opt-out terms in their prior agreements, Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com tweets. Their original opt-out dates were not reported, but certainly may have fallen in this general time frame. It’s not clear if and when the players can elect to seek another opportunity moving forward.
Arroyo, 39, had been in the rotation mix before a rotator cuff issue sidelined him this spring. He’s expected to rehab and make an attempt to return to the hill over the summer. While the organization has several young options that will compete at Triple-A in hopes of earning starting shots if a need arises at the major league level, Arroyo could certainly present an option if he’s able to work back to full health.
Badenhop, meanwhile, had been looking to crack the pen after an up-and-down year with the Reds in 2015. The groundball-heavy righty didn’t have good results in spring action and wasn’t able to force his way into a fairly competitive relief situation. But he’ll look to rebound at Triple-A and re-enter the picture later in the year.
