Jorge Alfaro: Everything you need to know

The Royals signed Alfaro to a minor-league contract Monday, Aram Leighton of JustBaseball.com reports. Alfaro got into 14 games with the Nationals in 2025, slashing .256/.256/.308. The 32-year-old hasn't seen significant action at the major-league level since 2022, and with Salvador Perez and Carter Jensen locked onto the big-league roster, that's unlikely to change in 2026.

Alfaro elected to become a free agent Friday. The Nationals removed Alfaro from their 40-man roster, and the veteran catcher declared free agency rather than accepting an outright assignment. Alfaro slashed .256/.256/.308 in 14 games with the Nats this season and will likely have to settle for a minor-league contract this winter.

The Nationals signed Alfaro to a one-year contract Tuesday, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports. Alfaro recently opted out of his minor-league deal with the Brewers after slashing .244/.285/.430 with 15 home runs and 12 stolen bases with Triple-A Nashville. He'll give the Nationals an experienced catcher with Keibert Ruiz (concussion) still working his way back and Drew Millas (finger) out for the season.