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Nationals To Select Brad Lord

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The Nationals are going to promote right-hander Brad Lord to their Opening Day roster, reports Jeff Passan of ESPN. The righty is not yet on the 40-man, so a corresponding move will be required. That could be an easy call since DJ Herz has been recommended for Tommy John surgery. It’s not fully confirmed that Herz will go under the knife but he will likely miss a decent chunk of time even if he avoids the surgeon’s table.

Lord, 25, isn’t a typical prospect. As Passan mentions in his report and as detailed by Spencer Nusbaum of The Washington Post last month, Lord has had to grind. While some top draft picks get multi-million-dollar signing bonuses, Lord was an 18th-round selection in 2022 and signed for $125K. He spent this past winter working at a Home Depot in Bradenton, lifting bags of mulch and Christmas trees, around his offseason training.

That makes it all the more impressive that he’s been able to improve his stock in recent years. In 2023, he tossed 104 2/3 innings at the Single-A and High-A levels, working both as a starter and reliever. He posted a 4.04 earned run average, 18.5% strikeout rate, 6.5% walk rate and huge 61.6% ground ball rate.

Last year, he climbed from High-A to Double-A and Triple-A, logging 129 2/3 innings across a combined 29 starts at those three levels with a 2.43 ERA. His grounder rate dropped to 42% but he upped his punchouts to a 25.3% clip. Baseball America ranked him the #29 prospect in the system going into 2025.

Here in camp, his 6.08 ERA doesn’t look so nice, but that’s in a tiny sample of 13 1/3 innings. He was very unfortunate in that time, with an unlucky .348 batting average on balls in play and 50% strand rate. He only struck out 13.8% of batters but got the grounders back up to 55.6%.

He seems likely to start the season working a long relief role for the Nats. They project to have a rotation of MacKenzie Gore, Trevor Williams, Jake Irvin, Mitchell Parker and Michael Soroka. By having Lord serve the longman role, it will allow the club to keep other potential starters like Shinnosuke Ogasawara and Jackson Rutledge stretched out in Triple-A.

Photo courtesy of Jim Rassol, Imagn Images

Nationals’ DJ Herz Recommended For Tommy John Surgery

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March 26: TalkNats reports that Herz has been diagnosed with a UCL tear and recommended for Tommy John surgery, but the southpaw will seek a second opinion before making a decision regarding the procedure.

March 25: The Nationals announced this morning that left-hander DJ Herz has been placed on the 15-day injured list due to a sprained ulnar collateral ligament in his left elbow. Herz had been optioned to Triple-A last Friday, but that option has been rescinded in favor of a major league IL placement, presumably after testing revealed an injury sustained in big league camp.

While the team hasn’t announced a formal timetable or treatment plan, it’s an ominous injury. The sprain, by definition, indicates some stretching/tearing of the ligament. The majority of UCL sprains result in Tommy John surgery or an internal brace procedure, either of which would wipe out Herz’s entire season. Andrew Golden of the Washington Post reports that Herz has experienced a dead arm throughout camp and saw his velocity drop this spring, which only further adds to the level of concern.

Herz, 24, came to the Nationals in the trade sending Jeimer Candelario to the Cubs back in 2023. He made his big league debut last summer and quickly showed that he has a place in the team’s long-term plans. After logging a 3.89 ERA in 10 Triple-A starts, Herz started 19 games and tallied 88 2/3 MLB frames, working to a solid 4.16 earned run average. The 2019 eighth-rounder fanned an impressive 27.7% of his opponents and also radically improved his command in the majors; Herz has walked more than 15% of his opponents throughout his minor league tenure, including a ghastly 19% in Triple-A last year, but he cut that to a 9.4% rate in the majors. That’s only one percentage point north of league-average and is plenty passable for someone who can miss bats at Herz’s levels.

Even without any knowledge of the dead arm, a cursory glance at Herz’s spring stats would’ve suggested something was amiss. After that strong output between Triple-A and the majors last year, he’s been rocked for nine runs (seven earned) on 10 hits and nine walks in Grapefruit League play. He’s fanned only four of the 49 batters he’s faced and yielded a pair of home runs.

Having been optioned to Triple-A Rochester already, Herz wasn’t in the Nationals’ immediate rotation plan. Now, the question is whether he’ll factor into their plan anytime before the 2026 season. With Herz sidelined for the short term at the very least, Washington’s rotation will feature MacKenzie Gore, Jake Irvin, Mitchell Parker and offseason signees Michael Soroka and Trevor Williams (the latter of whom re-signed with the Nats on a two-year deal after also spending the 2023-24 seasons there). The Nats optioned another free-agent addition, former NPB lefty Shinnosuke Ogasawara, to Rochester to begin his career in North American ball. They also have righty Josiah Gray and former top prospect Cade Cavalli both on the comeback trail after undergoing Tommy John surgery to address their own UCL injuries.

Nationals Select Colin Poche To 40-Man Roster

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The Nationals announced that they have selected the contract of left-hander Colin Poche.  The veteran reliever signed a minor league deal with Washington last month, and he’ll now be a part of the team’s Opening Day roster.

Poche has pitched in four of the last six MLB seasons, as a Tommy John surgery shelved him for the entirety of the 2020-21 campaigns.  He returned from that long layoff in pretty good form, posting a 3.27 ERA over 156 2/3 innings out of the Rays’ bullpen over the course of the 2022-24 seasons.  His strikeout rate has declined over those three years, however, bottoming out at a modest 21.6% rate last year.  Some back and shoulder injuries also sent Poche to the injured list, limiting him to 37 1/3 innings in what ended up as his final season in Tampa Bay.

The Rays opted to non-tender Poche rather than pay him a projected $3.4MM salary in what would’ve been his final season of arbitration eligibility.  The terms of his deal with Washington aren’t publicly known, but the southpaw will now lock in a guaranteed salary as a result of making the team.

Jose A. Ferrer is the only other left-hander slated to be part of the Nats’ bullpen, so there was clearly an opening for Poche to step in as a second lefty even though Poche’s spring numbers haven’t been impressive (a 7.71 ERA in 4 2/3 innings).  Amongst other southpaws on the 40-man roster, MacKenzie Gore and Mitchell Parker will be part of the starting rotation, and the Nationals yesterday optioned Shinnosuke Ogasawara and DJ Herz to Triple-A, where they will act as starting depth.  Konnor Pilkington is also in the organization on a minor league deal, but it stands to reason that Washington might look to add another lefty or two as other teams make their final camp cuts.

Nationals Option Shinnosuke Ogasawara, DJ Herz

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The Nationals announced on Friday that they’ve optioned left-handers Shinnosuke Ogasawara and DJ Herz to Triple-A Rochester. Infielder Nasim Nunez and catcher Drew Millas were also sent down. As Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com writes, this essentially finalizes Mitchell Parker as the season-opening fifth starter.

Manager Dave Martinez said early in camp that MacKenzie Gore, Trevor Williams, Michael Soroka and Jake Irvin had rotation spots secure. The final job was up for grabs among Parker, Herz and Ogasawara. The former seemed to be the favorite going into camp, as he’d pitched to a 4.29 ERA in 29 starts as a rookie. Herz and Ogasawara probably had to pitch very well this spring to jump him on the depth chart.

That didn’t happen. Parker had the steadiest Spring Training performance. He allowed five runs with eight strikeouts and four walks across 12 1/3 innings. While that’s not exactly a dominant showing, Herz and Ogasawara both struggled. Herz gave up nine runs in 9 2/3 frames. He issued nine walks and only managed four strikeouts. Ogasawara was tagged for 19 runs (15 earned) over 12 innings. The Japanese southpaw recorded 10 strikeouts and walked eight.

Ogasawara signed a two-year, $3.5MM free agent deal over the winter. Unlike many NPB/KBO signees, he did not get a contractual clause that prohibits the team from sending him to the minors. He’ll begin his U.S. career in Triple-A after posting a 3.12 ERA with a modest 13.6% strikeout rate in his final NPB season. Herz made his big league debut last season. He struck out nearly 28% of opponents with a solid 4.16 ERA in 19 starts. He hasn’t consistently thrown strikes in the minors, though, and he clearly has not looked sharp this spring.

Nationals Return Rule 5 Pick Evan Reifert To Rays

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The Nationals have returned Rule 5 Draft pick Evan Reifert to the Rays, per announcements from both clubs. Washington’s 40-man roster is now at 39 players. The right-hander is back in the Rays organization and will not count against Tampa Bay’s 40-man roster. The fact that Reifert is being returned to the Rays indicates that he first cleared waivers after being made available to the league’s other 28 teams.

The 25-year-old Reifert (26 in May) signed with the Brewers as an undrafted free agent in 2020 and was traded to the Rays a bit more than a year later in exchange for infielder Mike Brosseau. He made his way to Double-A in 2024, pitching 41 1/3 innings of 1.96 ERA ball with an eye-popping 40.4% strikeout rate against a 9.9% walk rate. Despite the gaudy strikeout rate, Reifert was left unprotected last November and was the fifth player off the board in December’s Rule 5 Draft.

Last year’s 9.9% walk rate was higher than average but still far and away the best mark of Reifert’s career. He walked 14% of his opponents in 2021, 12.5% in 2022 and 37% in 2023 (in a tiny sample of 7 2/3 innings). Command has long been an issue, and that was again the case during spring training. Reifert issued a dozen walks and tossed three wild pitches in just 6 1/3 innings (39 batters faced).

Reifert has yet to pitch in Triple-A, but he’ll presumably do so this season. If the Rays can get his walk numbers back to even the 10-12% range, he has the potential to be an impactful big league reliever. The 6’4″ righty features a heater in the 94-97 range and an overpowering slider that MLB.com credits as a 70-grade pitch (on the 20-80 scale). FanGraphs touts that slider as a legitimate 80-grade offering … but couples it with 30-grade command.

The Nationals’ Fifth Starter Competition

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The Nationals continue to evaluate candidates for the final spot in their rotation. Manager Dave Martinez confirmed to reporters (including Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com) that four pitchers will be in the Opening Day rotation if healthy: MacKenzie Gore, Michael Soroka, Jake Irvin and Trevor Williams. The Nats haven’t revealed in what order those pitchers will take the ball, but the more meaningful development is that there’s only one rotation spot up for grabs.

There appear to be three candidates for that job. Mitchell Parker and DJ Herz are coming off solid rookie seasons. The Nats added former NPB southpaw Shinnosuke Ogasawara on an affordable two-year, $3.5MM free agent deal. All three are left-handers who are in their mid-20s and aiming to break camp for the first time in their MLB careers.

Parker is the most experienced of the bunch. Washington called up the 6’4″ southpaw in the middle of April. He stuck in the rotation for the remainder of the season. Parker made 29 starts and worked to a 4.29 earned run average through 151 innings. He posted a slightly below-average 20.6% strikeout rate against a solid 6.7% walk percentage. Parker doesn’t have huge stuff but looks the part of a solid back-end command artist.

Herz has the opposite profile. He missed bats on nearly 13% of his offerings. Herz posted a 27.7% strikeout rate, continuing a trend of plus swing-and-miss numbers he showed throughout his minor league career. His minor league walk numbers wouldn’t point to a long-term future in the rotation, but he showed surprisingly reasonable control (9.4% walk rate) over his first 19 MLB starts. He turned in a 4.16 ERA through 88 2/3 frames.

Ogasawara’s profile is closer to Parker’s. He allowed 3.62 earned runs per nine over his nine seasons in Japan. Ogasawara worked to a 3.12 ERA across 144 1/3 frames for Chunichi Dragons last season. He had a well below-average 13.6% strikeout rate that explains his modest deal. He walked fewer than 4% of batters faced, so he’s a good strike-thrower, but it’s not clear whether his stuff will play against big league competition.

No one from this trio has had an especially impressive camp. Parker’s results have been the best. He has allowed four runs through 7 1/3 innings, striking out seven without issuing a walk. Ogasawara has surrendered 11 runs (seven earned) with five walks and six strikeouts over 9 1/3 frames. Herz has allowed eight runs (six earned) with seven free passes and only three punchouts through 6 2/3 innings. While it’s not worth reading much into a handful of Spring Training appearances, Parker’s greater experience seemed to give him a leg up on the job entering camp. If that were the case, it’s hard to argue that Herz and Ogasawara have shown enough to overtake him to this point.

Nationals’ Erick Mejia Converting To Pitching

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Erick Mejia is starting a new chapter in his 13-year career, as the longtime infielder is working out as a pitcher in the Nationals’ spring camp.  The Washington Post’s Andrew Golden writes that Mejia’s latest step was a 25-pitch live batting practice session against minor league hitters, and none of Mejia’s pitches were put into play.

Mejia’s MLB resume consists of 17 games with the Royals over the 2019-20 seasons.  The rest of his lengthy career has been spent in the farm systems of Mariners, Dodgers, Royals, and Nationals, and Mejia has hit .264/.333/.387 over 3998 career plate appearances in the minors.

Washington signed Mejia to a minor league deal in December 2022, and his two seasons in the Nats’ system didn’t lead to another trip back to the Show.  He did toss an inning of mop-up work in a blowout of Triple-A game last season, which led to a follow-up bullpen session that saw Mejia throw off a mound (while wearing sneakers) and hit 96mph on the radar gun.  This got the attention of Nationals coaches and officials, and Mejia agreed last September to try giving pitching a proper try as a new career path.

Golden notes that Mejia has a ton of vertical break on his four-seam fastball, and that pitch has also hit the 98mph threshold in subsequent throwing sessions.  “The number one thing he has is the ability to throw the ball very good and to throw it over the plate.  The other stuff, we can work on it,” Triple-A Rochester pitching coach Rafael Chaves said, describing how Mejia is understandably still raw at the normal mechanics and routine processes that come with pitching.

It remains to be seen if this transition will remain just an experiment, or if Mejia can get into minor league games and try to prove himself as a pitcher.  Now 30 years old, Mejia put the situation plainly, saying “if I need to try something different to keep going, I will do it.”  There’s no downside for the veteran to see if he can translate his arm strength and natural velocity into a pitching career, and it makes Mejia an interesting subplot of the Nationals’ camp.

Offseason In Review: Washington Nationals

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The Nationals made a few acquisitions, most notably with a trade for their new first baseman. They eschewed any investments longer than two years. They're probably still a season away from pulling out of the rebuild. If they take a step forward from last season's 71 wins, they should be positioned for a much more aggressive winter going into 2026.

Major League Signings

2025 spending: $38.5MM ($4MM deferred)
Total spending: $47.5MM

Option Decisions

Trades and Claims

Notable Minor League Signings

Extensions

  • None

Notable Losses

The Nationals finished 71-91 last season, their second straight year landing 20 games under .500. Still, they feel closer to contention than they did 12 months ago. Top outfield prospects James Wood and Dylan Crews made it to the big leagues. The middle infield tandem of CJ Abrams and Luis García Jr. each took steps forward, even if Abrams' season ended with an unceremonious disciplinary demotion. Center fielder Jacob Young had a nice season headlined by Gold Glove-caliber defense. A controllable rotation group of MacKenzie Gore, Jake Irvin, Mitchell Parker and DJ Herz pitched reasonably well.

One can start to see the light at the end of the five-year rebuild. Yet the Nationals entered the offseason with a handful of huge holes. GM Mike Rizzo said in September that the front office was looking to add one or two middle-of-the-order bats. The Nats got very little from their corner infield or designated hitter positions, making those obvious target areas. They're still lacking a true top-of-the-rotation starter, nor did they have much in the way of middle relief depth.

They didn't fix all of it. There was never much hope of ownership allowing the front office to jump back in on Juan Soto. They seemingly didn't look at the top of the rotation market, uninterested in making a $200MM+ investment for Corbin Burnes or Max Fried. While they technically did add two middle-of-the-order hitters, they weren't on significant free agent splashes. The Nationals showed some interest in Christian Walker and made sense as an on-paper fit for Pete Alonso, but they ended up taking a volume approach to free agency.

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MLBTR Podcast: Jose Quintana, Luis Gil’s Injury, The Nats’ TV Situation, Salary Floor Talk, And More!

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The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.

This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…

Plus, we answer your questions, including…

  • With MASN now solved and stadium naming rights and jersey patches on the way do you see the Nationals making the leap into big spenders sooner than later? (12:30)
  • Do you see the MLBPA pushing for a salary floor? (22:05)
  • Will the White Sox trade Luis Robert Jr. before the start of the regular season? (25:20)
  • While neither is particularly likely, is it more probable that the Pirates extend Paul Skenes or the Reds extend Elly De La Cruz? (27:40)
  • What is your opinion of the White Sox upper management and will they lose 100 games this year? (30:45)
  • The Mets are loaded with infield prospects. Do they trade Jeff McNeil to make room? (37:30)
  • With the Tigers’ outfield injuries, do they go get a right-handed bat? And who is available? (42:00)
  • With the Mariners bringing back most of their position players, what are the chances they get better production from them in 2025? (44:30)
  • Does David Bote have a legitimate shot to make the Dodgers’ roster? (50:35)
  • Why doesn’t MLB expand to 36 teams instead of just 32? (51:35)

Check out our past episodes!

The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff.  Check out their Facebook page here!

Nationals Outright Stone Garrett

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The Nationals announced that outfielder Stone Garrett has cleared outright waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A Rochester. He had been designated for assignment last week. He’ll remain with the Nats but will no longer take up a spot on the 40-man roster.

Garrett, 29, has shown some flashes of offensive potential in his career. That made him a somewhat surprising DFA recipient when the Nats officially re-signed Kyle Finnegan last week and many fans expected him to be quickly snatched up by some other club. However, there are also some downsides in his profile that make it understandable why teams balked at grabbing him off waivers.

It is true that Garrett has a career batting line of .276/.341/.492 in the big leagues, which translates to a 125 wRC+. However, that came in a somewhat small sample size of 361 plate appearances spread across three separate seasons. His .369 batting average on balls in play is heavily to the lucky side, with typical league average usually being in the .290-.300 range. He also struck out in 30.2% of those plate appearances.

His minor league production has been more modest. Over the past four years, he has a .271/.331/.488 slash line and 107 wRC+ on the farm. His 7.5% walk rate and 26.2% strikeout rate in that sample are both subpar numbers.

Major league clubs likely considered his big league production to be at least partly a mirage and unlikely to be sustained. That was likely true before a significant injury and lackluster return. In August of 2023, Garrett suffered a scary injury when he leaped in attempt to catch a DJ LeMahieu home run at Yankee Stadium. In colliding with the wall, he hurt his leg and needed to be carted off the field. It was later announced that he had a fractured left fibula. Garrett was back on the field in 2024 but hit just .247/.338/.336 for a WRC+ of 82 in his 71 Triple-A games.

Put together, Garrett was likely viewed as a decent hitter but one whose results outpaced his actual talents. Factor in the notable leg injury and tepid numbers in his return last year, and his stock was a bit down. That nudged him off Washington’s roster and none of the other 29 clubs were willing to give him a spot.

Since he has less than three years of service time and doesn’t have a previous career outright, he doesn’t have the right to elect free agency. The Nats will go into the season with a projected outfield of James Wood, Dylan Crews and Jacob Young in starting roles, with Alex Call likely on the bench. Robert Hassell III is also on the 40-man while Franchy Cordero is an experienced major leaguer who is in the system on a minor league deal. If Garrett is added back to the roster at any point, he still has options remaining.

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