Nationals Rumors

Nationals Plan To Use Nick Senzel As Primary Third Baseman

By Steve Adams | December 13, 2023 at 6:47pm CDT

The Nationals made their one-year deal with former No. 2 overall draft pick Nick Senzel official yesterday, and the club is envisioning a prominent role for the 28-year-old. Senzel himself tells reporters that manager Dave Martinez told him the expectation is that he’ll play third base every day in 2024 (link via Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com).

At the time he agreed to his one-year, $2MM pact with Washington, it was reasonable enough to expect that Senzel might bounce around the diamond, as he’d done throughout his time in Cincinnati. The Reds began Senzel’s development as a third baseman but began playing him at other positions before long. Eugenio Suarez was locked in as the Reds’ third baseman, and after he turned in a 34-homer, All-Star campaign in 2018, Senzel wound up serving as Cincinnati’s primary center fielder in 2019. Overall, Senzel played all three outfield spots, second base and third base in the big leagues during his time as a Red (plus some briefer looks at shortstop in the minors).

It seems the Nationals plan to give Senzel an opportunity he never fully received in Cincinnati: everyday reps at the hot corner. Part of that lack of opportunity in Cincinnati was due to the presence of other veterans (e.g. Suarez, Mike Moustakas). Part was due to a litany of injuries that derailed Senzel’s development. He missed time due to finger surgery (to repair a torn tendon), elbow surgery (to remove bone spurs), shoulder surgery (torn labrum), injuries to both knees (one of which required arthroscopic surgery) and an ankle sprain. If he can finally remain healthy and things go well, the Nats can control him through the 2025 season via arbitration.

Word of an everyday role for Senzel isn’t without impact elsewhere on Washington’s roster. The Nats have their own former top prospect whom they selected in the first round of the 2016 draft, just 24 picks after Senzel, in Carter Kieboom. The 26-year-old has appeared in parts of four big league seasons with the Nats but mustered only a .199/.297/.301 slash in 508 trips to the plate. Kieboom is now out of minor league options, so he’ll need to either make the Opening Day roster or else be traded or exposed to waivers before he can be sent down to the minors.

That puts Kieboom in an unenviable spot. Like Senzel, he’s been plagued by myriad injuries throughout his still relatively young career. Most notable is the infielder’s 2022 Tommy John surgery, but Kieboom has also missed time with a shoulder impingement and a wrist injury. That shoulder issue wiped out much of his 2023 season. Kieboom had surely hoped that a return to health would give him the opportunity to at last cement himself in the big leagues. In order to have the best chance at doing so, he’d need regular playing time that now does not appear to be in the cards. If he sticks with the Nats to open the season, he’ll face the tough task of trying to produce and earn a long-term spot through sporadic at-bats — likely being scattered between third base, designated hitter and perhaps at second base.

It’s also fair to question whether Kieboom is on the verge of running out of opportunities in D.C. altogether, though. His trade value isn’t anywhere near what it once was, but it’s still plausible that another club could take a look at him as a third base flier in a small trade or via a waiver claim. He still has four years of club control remaining.

Nationals Sign Dylan Floro To Major League Deal

By Darragh McDonald | December 12, 2023 at 5:00pm CDT

The Nationals announced that they have signed right-hander Dylan Floro to a one-year major league deal. They also announced their previously-reported pact with infielder/outfielder Nick Senzel. To open a spot on the 40-man roster, infielder Jeter Downs was designated for assignment. Per Jim Bowden of The Athletic, Floro will make $2.25MM plus incentives. Jon Morosi of MLB.com relays that Floro will get an extra $1.25MM if he pitches in 60 games next year.

Floro, 33 this month, has plenty of major league success but is coming off a frustrating 2023 campaign. From 2018 to 2022, he tossed 252 2/3 innings for the Reds, Dodgers and Marlins with an earned run average of 2.96 in that time. He struck out 21.6% of hitters faced, issued walks at a 7.6% clip and kept 50.9% of balls in play on the ground.

He was back with the Fish to start 2023 but had an earned run average of 4.54 through 39 2/3 innings. He was then traded to the Twins for another struggling reliever in Jorge López, with both clubs hoping for a change-of-scenery boost. But Floro posted a 5.29 ERA in 17 innings for Minnesota before getting released as the season was winding down.

There’s no denying that those results were less than ideal, but it’s possible that the baseball gods were responsible for them. Floro’s peripherals were still strong, as he struck out 23.4% of batters for the season as a whole, walked just 6.9% and got grounders at a strong 54.4% rate. But his .401 batting average on balls in play and 65.3% strand rate were both on the unlucky side of average. His 2.96 FIP and 3.34 SIERA suggest he may have been closer to his previous self than would appear on first glance. His 37.1% hard hit rate in 2023 was a career high but his 87.1 mph average exit velocity was actually lower than the year before.

The Nats are in rebuilding mode and aren’t expected to compete in 2024. They can give Floro a job in their bullpen and perhaps flip him to a contender at the deadline if he bounces back. This was a strategy the Nats deployed last season, signing Jeimer Candelario, Dominic Smith and Corey Dickerson to one-year deals. The deals for Smith and Dickerson didn’t work out, but Candelario bounced back nicely and was flipped to the Cubs at the deadline for two prospects.

Downs, 25, was claimed off waivers from the Red Sox about a year ago. Once a highly-touted prospect, he was part of the package that the Sox received in the Mookie Betts trade. But his performance in the past few years diminished his stock significantly. He played in just six games for the Nats in 2023, spending most of the year either on optional assignment or the injured list. In 60 minor league games this year, he walked in 16.6% of his plate appearances but also hit just three home runs. His .222/.363/.356 batting line translated to a wRC+ of 91.

The Nats will now have a week to trade him or pass him through waivers. He still has one option year remaining and less than a year of service time. Given his past status as a top prospect, some club could put in a claim and wouldn’t even need to commit an active roster spot to him.

Nationals To Sign Nick Senzel

By Nick Deeds | December 7, 2023 at 1:50am CDT

The Nationals and infielder Nick Senzel have a one-year deal, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post. The deal reportedly guarantees Senzel $2MM with an additional $1MM available in performance bonuses.

Senzel, 28, was a highly-touted prospect early in his career, having been selected second overall by the Reds in the 2016 draft. By the time he made his major league debut back in 2019, Senzel was a consensus top-10 prospect in all of baseball. Unfortunately for both Senzel and the Reds, his career hasn’t lived up to that promise to this point. Senzel’s rookie campaign went fairly well, as the then-24-year-old adjusted to become the everyday center fielder in Cincinnati after spending his entire professional career to that point on the infield dirt. Senzel posted a decent .256/.315/.427 slash line in 414 trips to the plate that year, and entered the 2020 season with plenty of reason for optimism that better days would be ahead.

Unfortunately, Senzel struggled to stay healthy over the next two seasons, appearing in just 59 total games between the 2020 and 2021 campaigns. To make matters worse, Senzel posted brutal numbers at the plate when he was healthy enough to take the field, slashing a combined .227/.294/.332 in 202 trips to the plate. While Senzel was healthy enough to return to semi-regular playing time in 2022, his bat didn’t improve, as he posted a similar slash line of .231/.296/.306 across 110 games that season. Senzel’s offense improved slightly in 2023, as he slashed .236/.297/.399 with 13 home runs in 330 plate appearances while splitting time between second base, third base, and all three outfield spots.

That said, Senzel’s performance did not convince the Reds to tender him a contract worth a projected $3MM this offseason (per MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz). Given the excess of young, controllable position player talent in Cincinnati, the club’s decision to part ways with Senzel was hardly a surprising one. Still, Senzel’s positional versatility makes him an intriguing bench option for teams in need of additional depth around the diamond. That’s particularly true of teams that struggle offensively against southpaws, as Senzel owns a career 108 wRC+ against left-handed pitching.

That’s a description that fits the Nationals, who hit a below-average .266/.323/.415 against lefties last season. In particular, Senzel could be a potential platoon partner for Luis Garcia, who slashed just .261/.273/.395 against same-handed pitching last season as the club’s everyday second baseman. While Senzel only played second base briefly in 2023, he also provides the Nationals with another option at third base, where they currently figure to rely on Carter Kieboom, as well as at all three outfield spots. Given Senzel’s relative youth and previous prospect pedigree, it’s a reasonable gamble for the Nationals, on the heels of a 91-loss season that saw them finish dead last in the NL East, to see if they can unlock another gear to the versatile lefty-masher’s game.

Nationals, Juan Yepez Agree To Minor League Deal

By Darragh McDonald | December 6, 2023 at 2:35pm CDT

First baseman Juan Yepez has agreed to a minor league deal, per Jon Heyman of The New York Post.

Yepez, 26 in February, was recently non-tendered by the Cardinals after a disappointing 2023 season, but posted strong results in the two prior campaigns. In 2021, Yepez split his time between Double-A and Triple-A, hitting 27 home runs in 111 games. He also walked in 11.8% of his plate appearances, leading to a combined batting line of .286/.383/.586 and a wRC+ of 154.

In 2022, he was moved between Triple-A and the majors, performing well at both levels. He hit 16 homers in 50 Triple-A games and slashed .277/.341/.580 for a wRC+ of 137. In the big leagues, he hit 12 home runs in 76 games, producing a line of .253/.296/.447 and wRC+ of 107. He also hit a pinch-hit two-run home run in the first game of the Wild Card series against the Phillies, though the Cards ended up losing both that game and the series.

In 2023, he hit just .183/.246/.300 in 28 major league games and spent most of the season on optional assignment. But he didn’t thrive in Triple-A either, hitting .255/.323/.413 in his 86 games at that level for a wRC+ of 82.

Even if Yepez had been performing well, it would have been tough for the Cards to find a spot for him. He has played some third base in the past but not in 2023, primarily lining up at first base and the outfield corners. Since St. Louis has Paul Goldschmidt at first and a surplus of outfield options, he had a tough hill to climb in finding playing time there.

The Nationals, however, should be a much better fit for him. Dominic Smith was the primary first baseman for that club in 2023 but he was also non-tendered and is currently a free agent. Joey Meneses could be in line for a regular role there but he can also play the outfield and the Nats don’t have anyone strictly locked into the designated hitter slot. Even in the outfield, Victor Robles is heading into his final arbitration season before reaching free agency while Lane Thomas is just two years from the open market, though prospects like James Wood and Dylan Crews should be factors in the near future.

If Yepez can hit his way back to a roster spot, he still as one option year remaining and barely a year of service time. That means the Nats could retain him for multiple seasons if he ends up clicking with them.

2023 Rule 5 Draft Results

By Darragh McDonald | December 6, 2023 at 1:01pm CDT

The 2023 Rule 5 draft will begin at 1pm Central time today at the Winter Meetings in Nashville.

As a refresher, the Rule 5 draft is a way for players potentially talented enough for the big leagues but blocked by their current clubs to find opportunities elsewhere. Any players that were 18 and under at the time of their original signing and have played five professional seasons, and any players who signed at 19 years of age or older at signing that now have four professional seasons, who are not on a club’s 40-man roster are eligible to be selected in the Rule 5 draft.

The clubs will draft in reverse order of the 2023 standings, with no club obligated to make a selection when it’s their turn. If they do make a pick, they will have to pay $100K to the team they select from. The selected players must stay on the active roster (or injured list) for the entire 2024 season or else be placed on waivers. If they clear waivers, they must be offered back to their original team. They cannot be optioned to the minors. Last year’s edition saw some key players change clubs, such as Ryan Noda going from the Dodgers to the Athletics and Blake Sabol going from the Pirates to the Giants.

This post will be updated as the draft continues. Here is the order…

1. Athletics: RHP Mitch Spence (Yankees)
2. Royals: RHP Matt Sauer (Yankees)
3. Rockies: RHP Anthony Molina (Rays)
4. White Sox: LHP Shane Drohan (Red Sox)
5. Nationals: SS Nasim Nuñez (Marlins)
6. Cardinals: RHP Ryan Fernandez (Red Sox)
7. Angels: pass
8. Mets: RHP Justin Slaten (Rangers); Mets later traded Slaten to the Red Sox for LHP Ryan Ammons* and cash considerations.
9. Pirates: pass
10. Guardians: 3B Deyvison De Los Santos (Diamondbacks)
11. Tigers: pass
12. Red Sox: pass
13. Giants: pass
14. Reds: pass
15. Padres: RHP Stephen Kolek (Mariners)
16. Yankees: pass
17. Cubs: pass
18. Marlins: pass
19. Diamondbacks: pass
20. Twins: pass
21. Mariners: pass
22. Blue Jays: pass
23. Rangers: RHP Carson Coleman (Yankees)
24. Phillies: pass
25. Astros: pass
26. Brewers: pass
27. Rays: pass
28. Dodgers: pass
29. Orioles: pass
30. Braves: pass

The minor league phase of the Rule 5 draft also occurred this afternoon. Those players will not go onto the selecting teams’ 40-man roster. A few former major leaguers changed uniforms. They include 1B Seth Beer going from the Diamondbacks to the Pirates while the Yankees took RHP Kervin Castro from the Astros.

* (Robert Murray of FanSided first reported that Ammons was going to the Mets. Joel Sherman of The New York Post added that Ammons and cash were being exchanged for Slaten.

East Notes: Rays, Phillies, Nationals

By Leo Morgenstern | December 5, 2023 at 6:02am CDT

Several Rays players have come up in trade rumors recently, with the team currently set to run a payroll well north of $100MM, far higher than the $70MM to $90MM range they have sat in for the past three seasons. Among those trade candidates are Tyler Glasnow, whose $25MM salary makes him far and away the highest-paid player on the roster, and Randy Arozarena and Isaac Paredes, each of whom is sure to earn a sizeable raise in arbitration this winter.

However, president of baseball operations Erik Neander threw some cold water on the rumors surrounding Arozarena and Paredes on Monday. While the Rays seem to be actively shopping Glasnow, the executive clarified that the team is merely listening to offers for the left fielder and third baseman (per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times). Fielding trade proposals is simply standard operating procedure and a matter of due diligence for an MLB front office, especially for a team like Tampa Bay that is often highly active on the trade market.

That doesn’t mean either player won’t be traded this offseason, but it’s a meaningful distinction nonetheless. Arozarena and Paredes are still an excellent value in their early years of arbitration, and the Rays aren’t desperate to get either one off the books.

More news from around MLB’s East divisions…

Turning to the NL East, Alex Coffey of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports that the Phillies are planning to pick up a bullpen piece this offseason, and they’re also considering an outfield acquisition. It’s no surprise the Phillies are looking for another reliever, in light of Craig Kimbrel’s departure in free agency, but the note about an outfielder is slightly more revealing; after all, the three primary outfielders from the team’s 2023 postseason roster are all set to return in 2024. Indeed, with Nick Castellanos, Brandon Marsh, and Johan Rojas already on the roster, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski would only add another outfielder if he finds the “right fit” (as relayed by Coffey). Perhaps that means another impact bat to take over full-time duties in left field while Marsh platoons with Rojas in center.
While the Nationals aren’t likely to contend in 2024, president of baseball operations Mike Rizzo is still planning to improve the on-field product. “I think we’re going to be aggressive again this year looking for a bat that can play the corner infield, be it third base or first base or DH or left field, or a combination of all three of those,” the executive told reporters during the Winter Meetings. “And then we’ll resort back to getting more pitching” (per Mark Zuckerman of MASN). Of particular interest, Rizzo also mentioned that the team is prepared to offer multi-year contracts “in the right situation,” which isn’t always common for teams in the middle of a rebuild. Over the previous three offseasons, the Nationals have only signed one free agent to a multi-year deal: Trevor Williams, who signed a two-year, $13MM deal last December.

Nationals Notes: García, Outfield, Meneses, Robles

By Darragh McDonald | December 4, 2023 at 5:07pm CDT

Nationals manager Dave Martinez spoke to members of the media at the Winter Meetings today, with Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com and Andrew Golden of The Washington Post each relaying some of the details. Notably, he said that Luis García isn’t guaranteed the second base job and that the club is looking for some left-handed power in the outfield. He also provided health updates on Victor Robles and Joey Meneses.

García, 24 in May, was a top 100 prospect on his way up to the majors but hasn’t been able to firmly establish himself at the big league level. The rebuilding Nats gave him a chance to take over the keystone last year but he was eventually optioned to the minors in August after hitting just .260/.294/.363 for a wRC+ of 74. He was recalled in September and finished strong with a line of .304/.360/.507 from that point, but in a small sample of just 75 plate appearances.

Unsurprisingly, that brief flash of better results isn’t enough to sway the club’s decision makers. His 1,245 career plate appearances have amounted to a tepid line of .265/.295/.395 and wRC+ of 85. He’s also received poor marks for his glovework at second, with career tallies of -5 Defensive Runs Saved, -16 Outs Above Average and a grade of -7.8 from Ultimate Zone Rating.

The Nats still have some faith in him, as he is still on the roster after the non-tender deadline, but it might be a make-or-break year for him. He qualified for arbitration this winter as a Super Two player and is projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz for a salary of $2.4MM. The fact that he was tendered a contract suggests the Nats are willing to give him another shot at that price point, but he is going to be out of options next year. If he continues to struggle, he could get bumped down into a reserve role or perhaps lose his roster spot entirely. The Nats also have infielders Jeter Downs and Ildemaro Vargas on the roster or could perhaps find external additions if they decide to move on from García at some point.

Turning to the outfield, the desire to find a lefty bat in quite sensible as the current mix leans heavily to the right side. Each of Lane Thomas, Stone Garrett, Alex Call, Meneses, Robles and Jacob Young are righties. The club signed Corey Dickerson to try to balance things out last year but that didn’t go according to plan. He struggled through the first few months of the season and was released after the club couldn’t flip him at the deadline. The club also has James Wood, one of the top prospects in the league. He hits from the left side but is just 21 years and has yet to reach Triple-A. Even if he does make it the majors in 2024, having him and a veteran addition in the same lineup would hardly be a problem.

How they approach the situation this time around will obviously depend on how much they are willing to spend. Cody Bellinger is the top lefty-hitting outfielder but it would be a shock if a rebuilding club like the Nats outbid the field for his services. Another veteran on a short-term deal similar to the Dickerson signing is probably a safer bet, though the club will obviously be hoping for better results. Jung Hoo Lee has now been posted for MLB clubs but he seems to be quite popular and will require a significant multi-year deal plus a posting fee. Some other lefty-swinging outfielders in free agency include Kevin Kiermaier, Joc Pederson and Michael Brantley.

The trade market is headlined by old friend Juan Soto, but he is widely considered a rental since he already turned down a massive extension from the Nats and is set for free agency after 2024. With the state of Washington’s roster, they don’t make sense for a reunion. It would be a similar situation for someone like Alex Verdugo, who is also a year from the open market. The Cardinals would likely be open to a trade of someone like Dylan Carlson, Alec Burleson or Brendan Donovan.

As for Meneses, the club will be looking for a bounceback from him next year. He debuted with a bang in 2022, hitting 13 home runs in the final 56 games of the season. But his first full season in the bigs resulted in just 13 more homers over 154 contests, though Martinez relayed today that Meneses was battling a knee issue during the season. It’s unknown how severe this issue was or when it arose, but it is perhaps the reason for a 2mph drop in his average exit velocity relative to 2022. If getting back to health helps him reverse course, that would provide the club with a nice lineup boost regardless of external additions. In a separate tweet from Golden, Martinez says Meneses is doing agility work now and looking good, hoping to play first base and the outfield next year.

As for Robles, the news is less positive. He missed the second half of 2023 due to back spasms and Martinez relayed that Robles hasn’t played winter ball this offseason since he hasn’t yet proven himself healthy. He still has a couple of months before Spring Training gets going but it’s notable that the issue appears to be lingering. He is going into his final arbitration season before he’s set to become a free agent. Like García, he was once a top prospect that has thus far struggled to firmly establish himself in the big leagues. He currently has a career batting line of .238/.312/.360 in 1,801 plate appearances, translating to a wRC+ of 81.

NL Notes: Cease, Braves, Nationals, Hampson, D’Backs

By Mark Polishuk | December 3, 2023 at 2:42pm CDT

The Braves are known to have trade interest in Dylan Cease, and given the team’s penchant for signing players to long-term extensions, locking up a Georgia native like Cease would seem like a logical next step if a deal can be worked out to obtain the righty from the White Sox. However, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal points out a possible obstacle — Cease is represented by Scott Boras, who traditionally advises his clients to test free agency rather than sign long-term extensions.

Enough high-profile Boras clients have signed extensions that this isn’t at all a hard-and-fast rule, since as Rosenthal notes, Boras will ultimately operate according to his client’s demands. But it is perhaps noteworthy for this particular scenario, since Atlanta president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos rarely acquires Boras Corporations clients, even though both Anthopoulos and Boras have denied any lack of communication or lack of connection between the two sides. Trading for and extending Cease would be a way of putting this narrative to bed, though it remains to be seen if Atlanta will instead opt for another frontline pitcher besides Cease as the Braves continue to look for rotation help.

East Notes: Nationals, Mets, Rays

By Nick Deeds | December 2, 2023 at 6:04pm CDT

The Nationals finished the 2023 season with a 71-91 record that left them as one of the worst teams in the National League, even as it represented a substantial improvement over the club’s 107-loss 2022 campaign. While the club has sat out the top of the free agent market during the recent seasons of their rebuild, it seems that may not be the case this offseason as the club looks to upgrade at the infield corners and at DH, per TalkNats. The club has already been linked to a reunion with third baseman Jeimer Candelario, who was posting career-best numbers with the Nats prior to being dealt to the Cubs at the trade deadline. The report suggests that the club has interest in first baseman Rhys Hoskins and outfield/DH slugger Jorge Soler in addition to Candelario. The report goes on to indicate that Washington has been “very active” in the starting pitching market to this point in the offseason, though it does not connect any specific names to the club.

The rumored targets make sense for the Nationals. The club has a major hole at third base given that former top prospect Carter Kieboom has failed to establish himself the big league level. Kieboom’s .207/.266/.368 slash line (70 wRC+) in 2023 was largely in line with his career numbers of .199/.297/.301 (65 wRC+), and Candelario or another third base addition would almost certainly represent a significant upgrade over the 26-year-old. Meanwhile, an addition at first base or DH could help the club improve an offense that currently figures to use journeyman Joey Meneses at one position without an established starter at the other.

As for the rotation, the club has several interesting young arms such as Josiah Gray and MacKenzie Gore that they figure to prioritize developing, with veterans such as Patrick Corbin and Trevor Williams who can reliably eat innings. That being said, the Nationals’ starting staff posted a combined 5.02 ERA last season, the sixth-worst figure in the majors. What’s more, the club’s 5.30 FIP in the rotation was better than only the lowly Rockies, while their starting staff combined for just 4.9 fWAR, better than only Colorado and Oakland. That leaves plenty of room for improvement if the club decides to add even a lower-level free agent such as Matthew Boyd or Frankie Montas to its rotation, to say nothing of a more impactful addition.

More from around MLB’s East divisions…

While the Mets have reportedly shifted their focus away from superstar free agent Shohei Ohtani, Jon Heyman of the New York Post suggests that the club is still looking at potential impact additions this offseason. They’ve long been connected to top-of-the-market arm Yoshinobu Yamamoto as they explore potential rotation upgrades, and Heyman adds that the Mets are looking into “nearly every available frontline starter” in addition to Yamamoto, including southpaws Blake Snell, Jordan Montgomery, and Eduardo Rodriguez. While Heyman notes the club is unlikely to land a rental arm such as Tyler Glasnow or Shane Bieber on the trade market, he does suggest the club’s interest in rotation upgrades extends to White Sox starter Dylan Cease, who is under team control for the next two seasons and has seen plenty of trade buzz this offseason. Rotation upgrades make plenty of sense for New York after the club shipped out veteran aces Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer at the trade deadline over the summer, leaving Kodai Senga, Jose Quintana, and newly-signed righty Luis Severino as the club’s only rotation locks entering 2024.
The Rays have interest in a reunion with right-hander Cooper Criswell even after non-tendering him last month, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Criswell, 27, made his big league debut as a member of the Angels in 2021 with a one-game cup of coffee that lasted just 1 1/3 innings. He spent the past two seasons as a member of the Rays, with a 5.45 ERA and 5.00 FIP in 36 1/3 innings of work across 11 appearances. While those numbers are certainly nothing to write home about, Criswell’s ability to go multiple innings and 46.8% career groundball rate at the big league level could make him a worthwhile depth addition for a Rays club that relied on 40 different pitchers throughout the 2023 campaign.

Pirates Claim Roddery Muñoz From Nationals

By Darragh McDonald | December 1, 2023 at 4:10pm CDT

The Nationals announced that right-hander Roddery Muñoz was claimed off waivers by the Pirates and that left-hander Joe La Sorsa cleared outright waivers and has been assigned outright to Triple-A Rochester. Washington’s 40-man roster is now at 38 and Pittsburgh’s is at 37.

Muñoz, 24 in April, came up as a prospect with Atlanta and got a spot on their 40-man roster a year ago to keep him out of the Rule 5 draft. He was designated for assignment in July and was claimed by the Nationals. Though he was recalled briefly by Atlanta in June, he has yet to make his major league debut, getting optioned back to the farm just a few days later.

Between the two clubs, he tossed 78 innings over 34 appearances with a 5.42 earned run average. He struck out 23% of batters faced but walked 15.1%. He was more impressive in 2022, tossing 100 1/3 innings with a 4.66 ERA, 26.9% strikeout rate and 9.5% walk rate.

It appears the Bucs are intrigued enough to give him a roster spot. Muñoz still has a couple of options remaining, which will allow the Pirates to keep him in the minors without exposing him to waivers. Given his youth and minimal service time, he could be a long-term depth piece for the club, as long as he continues to justify his spot on the 40-man.

La Sorsa, 26 in April, just made his major league debut in 2023. He made two appearances for the Rays before getting claimed off waivers by the Nationals and getting into 23 more contests. Between those two clubs, he tossed 32 2/3 innings with a 4.41 ERA, 19.3% strikeout rate, 6.2% walk rate and 42.2% ground ball rate. By clearing waivers, he will provide the Nats will some non-roster depth.

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