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Nationals Sign Jace Fry To Minors Deal

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The Nationals have signed lefty Jace Fry to a minor league deal, according to Chelsea Janes of The Washington Post. He has been invited to big league camp.

This will be just the second organization for Fry, as he has been with the White Sox for the entirety of his career thus far. After a cup of coffee in 2017, he settled in as a mainstay of the team’s bullpen over the next three years. From 2018 to 2020, he appeared in 145 games for the Pale Hose, with a 4.43 ERA. Although the 13.7% walk rate was concerning, he could certainly rack up the strikeouts, with a rate of 29.6%.

In 2021, a microdiscectomy kept him on the IL until June and he struggled in his return. In a small sample of just 6 2/3 MLB innings, he put up a 10.80 ERA. However, in 40 Triple-A innings on the year, his ERA was just 2.93, along with a 36.1% strikeout rate and 12% walk rate. Despite that strong showing in the minors, he was outrighted by the White Sox at the end of the year.

For the Nationals, they leaned into a rebuild last year, trading away various players, including relievers Daniel Hudson and Brad Hand. That left them with a bullpen primarily consisting of inexperienced younger pitchers and Will Harris, who was limited by injury to just six innings last year. Since then, the club has added Sean Doolittle to be the primary lefty, alongside younger options like Sam Clay and Francisco Perez. Fry is still just 28 years old and has an option year remaining. If selected to the roster, he could give the Nationals an optionable veteran southpaw in the ’pen. He also has less than four years of MLB service time, meaning he could be retained into the future via arbitration if he succeeds with the Nats.

Nationals Designate Jhon Romero For Assignment

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The Nationals announced that right-hander Jhon Romero has been designated for assignment.  The move opens up a roster spot for Nelson Cruz, whose signing is now official.

A veteran of six pro seasons, Romero had something of a breakout in 2021, posting a combined 2.62 ERA, 30.5% strikeout rate, and 4.87% walk rate with Double-A Harrisburg (47 2/3 IP) and Triple-A Rochester (7 1/3 IP).  This performance earned Romero his first big league promotion, and he posted a 4.50 ERA over four innings with the Nationals late in the season.

With teams constantly on the lookout for live arms, it wouldn’t be a surprise if another team puts in a waiver claim on Romero, taking note of his big strikeout totals both in 2021 and in his three previous minor league campaigns.  It’s possible Romero could be a bit of a late bloomer as he enters his age-27 season, and it’s safe to assume the Nats might prefer to see him slip through DFA waivers and remain in their organization.

Nationals Place Joe Ross On 60-Day Injured List

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The Nationals placed right-hander Joe Ross on the 60-day injured list today, in order to create roster space for their now-official signing of Sean Doolittle.  Ross underwent surgery last week to have a bone spur removed from his throwing elbow, and Nats GM Mike Rizzo told reporters (including NBC Sports Washington’s Matt Weyrich) that Ross was expected to miss 6-8 weeks of action.

It represents another unfortunate setback for Ross, who has missed significant time over the last five seasons due to injuries.  A Tommy John surgery in 2017 was the biggest issue, and Ross’ 2021 campaign was cut short in August when a partial UCL tear was discovered in his throwing elbow.  The tear wasn’t quite serious enough to merit another TJ procedure, yet there was plenty of uncertainty about Ross’ status even before this latest bone spur issue emerged.

Ross had been only tentatively penciled into the Nationals rotation given his UCL concern, and now the club knows the righty will be unavailable until at least the back end of April.  The Nats recently signed Anibal Sanchez, Aaron Sanchez, and swingman Erasmo Ramirez to minor league contracts, so any of those veterans could now have a clearer path to winning some starts in Washington’s rotation.

Nationals To Sign Sean Doolittle

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The Nationals have reached an agreement with reliever Sean Doolittle, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post first reported the presence of Doolittle’s locker and contact between the two sides.  He notes the contract is a Major League deal. Jon Heyman of the MLB Network reports (Twitter link) he’ll be guaranteed $1.5MM with an additional $2.1MM attainable in incentives.

Doolittle, 35, will return for a fifth season with the Nats after splitting the 2021 season between the Reds and the Mariners. The two-time All-Star saved 75 games and pitched to a 3.03 ERA with a 28.2% strikeout rate and a 5.7% walk  rate with Washington through 142 2/3 innings after coming over from the A’s at the 2017 trade deadline.

The past two seasons haven’t been the best for Doolittle, who’s logged a combined 4.71 ERA through 57 1/3 innings during that time. However, after seeing his average fastball drop to a career-worst 90.9 mph in 2020, Doolittle rebounded to 93.3 mph in that regard in 2021 — including a 93.9 mph average late in the season after being claimed off waivers by the Mariners. Last year’s 12% swinging-strike rate and 33.6% opponents’ chase rate also marked bouncebacks, to an extent.

At his best, Doolittle has overpowered both left-handed and right-handed opponents, but he’s developed more of a platoon split in recent seasons. It was particularly pronounced in ’21, when lefties mustered just a .222/.276/.389 batting line but righties rocked him at a .288/.390/.510 pace. It’s unlikely he’ll bounce all the way back to his 2018 levels, when Doolittle was one of the best relievers on the planet, but even a return to his 2019 form would be a welcome addition to a threadbare Nationals bullpen that was lacking in stable contributors but has begun to add some veteran pieces.

Doolittle joins sidearming veteran Steve Cishek as the second experienced addition for the Nats in the past day. That pair will join Kyle Finnegan, Tanner Rainey and Will Harris in the late innings. Rainey is in need of a rebound himself, however, after pitching to a grisly 7.39 ERA in 31 2/3 innings in 2021. Harris, meanwhile, missed time with a series of blood clots early in 2021 before undergoing thoracic outlet surgery on Memorial Day weekend last year, making him something of a question mark himself.

It’s been an active few days for a Nationals club that has begun to add some short-term veterans. The Nats tore down much of the roster at the 2021 trade deadline, dealing Max Scherzer, Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber, Daniel Hudson, Yan Gomes, Josh Harrison, Brad Hand and Jon Lester in rare fire sale for GM Mike Rizzo. However, Rizzo pushed back against the idea of a lengthy rebuild in the days after the deadline and early in the offseason. The recent signings of Doolittle, Cishek, and particularly Nelson Cruz suggest that Rizzo & Co. will continue to add some veteran pieces to round out the 2022 roster.

If things break right and they get strong rebounds from key starters like Stephen Strasburg and Patrick Corbin, the Nats could be more competitive than many onlookers expect. If not, a series of short-term veteran additions will help to mentor some younger Nats before becoming trade fodder for a second straight deadline season.

Nationals To Sign Nelson Cruz

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The Nationals have reached an agreement to sign designated hitter Nelson Cruz to a one-year deal worth $15MM, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.  He notes that the contract includes a mutual option for 2023.

Cruz has been one of the best pure bats in baseball for over a decade, as he has posted a wRC+ of at least 106 each season since 2008, and a wRC+ of at least 122 in each season since 2013. Despite that, his market has increasingly been limited to American League teams due to his defensive limitations. The last time he played more than five games in the field was 2016, and the last time he played the outfield at all was 2018, though he did play one game at first base in 2021. With the new CBA expanding the designated hitter to the National League, that doubled the slugger’s market, perhaps making him the primary beneficiary of the rule change.

This incredible production has all occurred despite Cruz being one of the oldest players in the league, as he’ll turn 42 in July. The slugger had a mixed season last year, as he had a line of .294/.370/.537 and a wRC+ of 141 with the Twins, but after being traded to the Rays, slashed .226/.283/.442, wRC+ of 96. Despite that limited production down the stretch, the overall line on the season was still strong: .265/.334/.497, wRC+ of 122.

In their first full season with a full-time designated hitter, the Nationals have chosen to eschew the common plan of rotating various players through the spot for rest.  They’ll instead turn to Cruz as a 30+ home run bat in the middle of their lineup.  A heart of the order featuring Juan Soto, Josh Bell, and Cruz could be fearsome indeed.

Once the lockout ended, rumors started flying about Cruz’s potential destination, with the Dodgers, Padres, Brewers, and Braves considered finalists earlier today.  Cruz wound up choosing a dark horse suitor in the Nationals, returning to a National League club 17 years after his brief debut with Milwaukee.  Cruz’s $15MM salary is a $2MM increase from the amount he received from the Twins about a year ago.

Last year, after signing Kyle Schwarber to a one-year, $10MM deal and seeing him make the All-Star team, the Nats shipped him to the Red Sox for righty Aldo Ramirez, who is now the team’s 12th-ranked prospect according to Baseball America.  If the Nationals aren’t in contention as the 2022 trade deadline approaches, Cruz could allow for a similar gambit.

Nationals GM Mike Rizzo oversaw something of a reboot last summer, as the club shipped off Schwarber, Max Scherzer, Trea Turner, Brad Hand, Jon Lester, and Daniel Hudson at the trade deadline.  Even with Cruz in tow, the club’s competitive balance tax payroll sits around $150MM, which would mark the team’s lowest since 2013.  Though the Nationals’ primary offseason need was thought to be pitching, thus far Rizzo has only made minor additions in Steve Cishek, Anibal Sanchez, Erasmo Ramirez, and Aaron Sanchez.

Nationals Sign Aaron Sanchez To Minor League Deal

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March 15: In a subsequent tweet, Dougherty clarifies that Sanchez will make a base salary of $2MM, with a chance make a total of $3MM through performance bonuses.

March 13: The Nationals have signed righty Aaron Sanchez to a minor league deal, according to MLB Network’s Jon Heyman and Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post.  Sanchez is represented by the Boras Corporation.  Dougherty notes that if Sanchez makes the Majors, he has a $2MM base salary and another potential $4MM in incentives.

Sanchez, 29, was a first-round draft pick of the Blue Jays back in 2010.  He hit a high point in 2016 at the age of 23, when he made the All-Star team and finished seventh in the AL Cy Young voting.  Sanchez would be limited to just eight starts in 2017 due to a blister/split fingernail that required four separate IL stints. Further finger issues held him to 20 starts in 2018, culminating in season-ending surgery. Sanchez battled through similar issues in 2019, making 27 starts on the season but averaging fewer than five innings per turn. Sanchez was not able to replicate his previous success, posting a 5.45 ERA, lackluster 18.6 K%, and unfortunate 11.7 BB% across 2018-19.

By the 2019 trade deadline, the Blue Jays had seen enough, trading Sanchez to the Astros.  While it was thought that the Astros might work magic with Sanchez’s curveball, the righty quickly went down for shoulder surgery and was non-tendered after the 2019 season.

After missing the shortened 2020 season recovering from surgery, Sanchez re-emerged to sign a $4MM deal with the Giants in February 2021.  He hit the IL in May with right biceps tendinitis, getting further derailed with a blister.  Upon his return in late July, Sanchez was used out of the bullpen.  After three appearances, he was designated for assignment and then released.  At this point, Sanchez has tallied only 35 1/3 innings in the last two years.

If he’s healthy now, Sanchez could hardly find a better opportunity than at the back end of the Nationals’ rotation.  They’ve got Stephen Strasburg, Patrick Corbin, Josiah Gray, and Paolo Espino slated for the top four spots, with Sanchez likely to battle with another of today’s non-roster additions, Anibal Sanchez, for the fifth starter job, among others.  Strasburg is said to be healthy after undergoing thoracic outlet surgery last July.  News on Joe Ross was less encouraging, as the righty will be out six to eight weeks due to elbow surgery.

Nationals Sign Erasmo Ramirez To Minors Deal

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The Nationals have signed right-hander Erasmo Ramirez to a minor league contract, MLBTR has learned.  Ramirez’s deal contains an invitation to the Nats’ big league Spring Training camp.

The 31-year-old has appeared in each of the last 10 MLB seasons, with the first seven of those years as a member of the Mariners and Rays before bouncing to the Red Sox, Mets, and Tigers from 2019-2021 on minor league deals.  Ramirez’s 26 2/3 innings with Detroit last season represented his most Major League action of the last three years, though he struggled to a 5.74 ERA in a Tigers uniform.

Working as a starter and swingman for much of his career, Ramirez has worked only as a reliever at the MLB level since 2019, but can still add length to a bullpen — he threw beyond one inning in 10 of his 17 appearances last year.  While it has been some time since Ramirez has posted consistent numbers at the Major League level, his ability to cover innings could be of use to a Washington bullpen that has seemingly been in constant flux for several years.  The Nationals also signed another seasoned arm in Steve Cishek yesterday, so both Cishek and Ramirez can provide some veteran knowledge to a bullpen that is overall short of big league experience.

Nationals Sign Gerardo Parra To Minors Deal

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The Nationals have signed outfielder Gerardo Parra to a minor league deal, reports Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post. Parra is in major league camp as a non-roster invitee.

Parra, who turns 35 in May, is a veteran of 12 MLB seasons and 1519 games played. His best stretch of play was from 2010 to 2015. He was never elite at the plate, but had enough speed and defense to still be valuable in that time. Over those six seasons, he hit .274/.326/.404 for a wRC+ of 94 and 10.8 fWAR.

In 2019, he started the season with the Giants but was designated for assignment in early May. After clearing waivers, he signed on with the Nats and became a fan favorite when he chose “Baby Shark” as his walk-up music. This eventually became an unofficial team anthem as the club went on their incredible run to become that year’s World Series champions. Parra played in Japan in 2020 but came back to the Nats last year on a minor league deal. He ultimately had his contract selected and got into 53 games, hitting .237/.292/.351.

For the Nationals, there’s no harm in adding some veteran depth, especially in the wake of a deadline selloff last year that has left plenty of question marks going forward. Juan Soto obviously has one outfield spot spoken for. Lane Thomas had a nice showing after coming over in the Jon Lester trade and will probably be pencilled in. Victor Robles is still around, though he’s now had two consecutive rough seasons at the plate. Then there’s a handful of other guys who could see some time on the grass but aren’t necessarily guaranteed a long stretch, such as Ehire Adrianza, Andrew Stevenson, Lucius Fox and Yadiel Hernandez. Bringing on a veteran like Parra is a no-risk way of improving the depth behind this group.

Nationals Sign Anibal Sanchez To Minors Deal

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The Nationals have signed veteran right-hander Anibal Sanchez, reports Jon Heyman of MLB Network. It’s a minor league deal, reports Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post. If selected, he’ll be paid $2MM, with $1.5MM in performance bonuses available, per Joel Sherman of the New York Post.

A veteran who made his MLB debut back in 2006, Sanchez had his best years from 2010 to 2014, making 145 starts in that time, covering 895 innings with an ERA of 3.43. Unfortunately, things went south from there, with his ERA growing to 4.99, 5.87 and 6.41 over the next three seasons.

At that point, it was fair to wonder if his career was over, but he made an incredible comeback in 2018. After signing a minor league deal with the Braves, Sanchez threw 136 2/3 innings for Atlanta with a 2.83 ERA, parlaying that into a two-year, $19MM contract with the Nats. In 2019, he kept the comeback going with 166 innings of 3.85 ERA ball, and then 18 more innings in the postseason with an ERA of 2.50, helping the team on their remarkable World Series run.

The comeback ran out of steam in 2020, however, as Sanchez logged 53 innings in the shortened campaign with an ERA of 6.62. In 2021, he continually held showcases for interested clubs but ultimately never found a deal to his liking and missed the entire season. Yesterday, he held yet another showcase that was apparently impressive enough for him to land an offer just ten minutes later, per Heyman. Now Sanchez is back where he was four years ago, signed to a minor league deal and hoping to show he’s still got something left in the tank.

The Nationals would surely love for him to succeed, as they have lots of uncertainty in their rotation. Stephen Strasburg will be at the front of it if healthy, but that’s a big “if” after only throwing 26 2/3 innings over the past two years. Patrick Corbin will have another slot, but he had an ERA of 5.82 last year. Erick Fedde’s ERA was 5.47 in 2021. Joe Ross just had a bone spur removed from his throwing elbow and will be set back six to eight weeks, per Dougherty. Beyond that, the rotation options are unproven youngsters like Josiah Gray, Paolo Espino, Joan Adon, Seth Romero, Josh Rogers and Gerardo Carrillo. As the club endures a rebuild after last year’s selloff, they will surely want to have opportunities for those youngsters to show what they’re capable of. But they will likely also have the need for a veteran like Sanchez to take some starts and log some innings as well.

Nationals Sign Ehire Adrianza

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The Nationals and utility man Ehire Adrianza are in agreement on a one-year, $1.5MM deal, pending a physical, per Daniel Álvarez-Montes of El Extra Base (via Twitter). Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post confirms the deal (via Twitter), adding that there will be incentives tied to the contract to potentially increase the sum total.

Adrianza joins an increasingly robust collection of journeyman utility players in Washington. The 32-year-old switch hitter and Cesar Hernandez are the two vets who have secured guaranteed money, along with Alcides Escobar, the incumbent starter at shortstop. Adrianza’s contract doesn’t make him a starter in Washington, but it does presume he will be on the roster on Opening Day. And for what it’s worth, Escobar signed for less money and he’s looking like a multi-year starter for manager Davey Martinez’s club.

What’s more, though the Nationals haven’t exactly set the world on fire with their free-agent signings, but when it comes to veteran infielders, they’ve gone the quantity-over-quality route. Beyond the trio mentioned above, speeders Dee Strange-Gordon and Lucius Fox are also in-house with an opportunity to make the team. Richard Urena, Maikel Franco, Adrian Sanchez, Jake Noll, and Andrew Young are among the other veteran darts that they’ve thrown at the roster board this winter.

The question for Washington is how many roster spots exactly are available for the taking? More specifically, how secure are the active roster spots currently held by Carter Kieboom and Luis Garcia? Most of the veteran build-up can be attributed to the Nationals’ lack of minor league depth, but at a certain point, one has to wonder about the confidence level leadership has for their young infield duo.

Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post suggests that the Nats may want to see Garcia spend time at shortstop, moving Escobar to the bench. That certainly makes sense if he’s going to stay on the Major League roster. It’s hard to imagine how either player or team benefits from Garcia coming off the bench.

Presumably, that’s where Adrianza steps in. The versatile defender can play anywhere on the field, giving the Nationals some flexibility with their roster construction. Martinez tends to ride his starters offensively, but having Adrianza on the bench might even allow Washington to ride with a short bench at times. With just a $1.5MM commitment, it’s also not impossible that Washington moves on from Adrianza if he’s not performing as expected. The payroll isn’t yet close to where it’s been in years past, so this might just be an example of Washington throwing some money at a problem to make up for the lack of some organizational depth at the top.

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