Nationals Outright Three Players
The Nationals announced they’ve outrighted three pitchers — righty Steven Fuentes and southpaws Sean Nolin and Alberto Baldonado — off the 40-man roster. Nolin, who has previously been outrighted in his career, has elected free agency. Fuentes and Baldonado didn’t have that opportunity at the moment, although they’ll both reach minor league free agency this winter as players with seven-plus years in the minors.
Washington has four players on the 60-day injured list, and three of them will need to be reinstated to the 40-man roster at the start of the offseason. Veteran southpaw Luis Avilán will hit free agency this winter anyways, but Washington will need roster space for each of Stephen Strasburg, Will Harris and Kyle McGowin over the winter. Today’s series of outrights clears the necessary room for those activations.
Fuentes was added to the 40-man last winter to keep him from being taken in the Rule 5 draft. Unfortunately, he missed most of the season on the injured list and still hasn’t appeared in a big league game. The 24-year-old struggled mightily around those injuries, posting an 11.23 ERA over 37 2/3 frames across four minor league levels. Before the disastrous year, he’d been among the better pitching prospects in a thin Washington farm system.
Nolin pitched in the bigs with the Blue Jays and A’s from 2013-15 but didn’t get to the highest level again until this past August. The 31-year-old worked 26 2/3 innings of 4.39 ERA ball for the Nats across ten appearances (five starts), albeit with a below-average 16.3% strikeout rate.
Baldonado, a longtime minor league veteran, got his first big league call in September. The 28-year-old made fourteen relief outings down the stretch, allowing ten runs in 10 2/3 innings with twelve strikeouts and seven walks. It wasn’t the debut showing he’d been hoping for, but Baldonado earned that look with a solid 3.31 ERA over 32 2/3 Triple-A frames.
Nationals Designate Adrian Sanchez For Assignment
The Nationals announced they’ve activated infielder Jordy Mercer from the 10-day injured list. Minor league righty Steven Fuentes has also been reinstated from the 60-day injured list and optioned to Triple-A Rochester. To create space on the roster, Washington designated infielder Adrián Sánchez for assignment.
Sánchez, who has been part of the Nationals’ organization since signing as an amateur free agent back in 2007, has been on and off the big league roster over the past few years. Over parts of four MLB seasons, the utilityman has tallied 204 plate appearances of .262/.287/.328 hitting. While Sánchez makes a decent amount of contact, he’s neither walked nor hit for enough power to command a regular role. Because he’s out of minor league option years, Sánchez had to either stick on the active roster or be removed from the 40-man entirely.
The Nationals will place Sánchez on outright or release waivers over the coming days. The 31-year-old has already been outrighted in his career, so he’d have the right to elect free agency if he passes through unclaimed. Even if he accepts an outright assignment, he’d qualify for minor league free agency this winter if Washington doesn’t reselect him to the 40-man roster before the end of the season.
Mercer served in a utility capacity with Trea Turner entrenched at shortstop for much of the year. He landed on the IL with a left calf strain in late July, shortly before Turner was traded to the Dodgers as part of the Nats’ broad sell-off. Now firmly in evaluation mode, Washington figures to give regular opportunities to young players Carter Kieboom and Luis García at third and second base, respectively, over the season’s final few weeks. Mercer could share time at shortstop with veteran Alcides Escobar, who has been fine but unspectacular while holding down shortstop. Both Mercer and Escobar will reach free agency this offseason.
Nationals Select Humberto Arteaga
The Nationals announced they’ve selected the contract of infielder Humberto Arteaga. He’ll get the nod at shortstop tonight against the Dodgers. Fellow infielder Jordy Mercer has been placed on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to July 1, with a right quad strain. To clear 40-man roster space, right-handed pitching prospect Steven Fuentes was placed on the 60-day IL due to a strain in his throwing shoulder.
Washington has been lacking infield depth in recent days. Star shortstop Trea Turner is still day-to-day after jamming his finger diving into third base on a triple on Wednesday, and Mercer has been unavailable with his leg issue. That forced Washington to start catcher Alex Avila at second base last night. While Avila held his own, that’s obviously not a scenario the Nationals wanted to rely on for multiple days.
Arteaga has 135 major league plate appearances to his name, all with the 2019 Royals. He hit just .197/.258/.230 in that brief look. He’s been better at the plate throughout his minor league career, but has struggled immensely with Triple-A Rochester this season. The right-handed hitter has a .288/.321/.379 career mark at the minors’ highest level, but he’s slumped to .227/.266/.280 in 79 trips to the dish with the Red Wings in 2021. He should, however, at least offer a capable defensive option on the dirt while the regulars recover.
Washington selected Fuentes to the 40-man last October. He has yet to make his major league debut, appearing in four games for Rochester this season. Entering the year, Baseball America named the 24-year-old the #20 prospect in the Nationals system, praising his low-mid 90s sinker and quality changeup.