Soroka agreed to terms on a one-year, $9 million contract with the Nationals on Thursday, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports. Soroka started last season with a 6.39 ERA and 1.51 WHIP after nine starts with the White Sox. His performance improved dramatically after moving to the bullpen, posting a 2.75 ERA and 1.22 WHIP alongside a 60:20 K:BB over 36 frames as a reliever. The Nationals will attempt to transition Soroka back into a starting role, per Andrew Golden of The Washington Post, but given the 27-year-old's injury history and the fact he hasn't reached 100 innings since 2019, the Nationals may look to limit his workload.
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Soroka agreed to terms on a one-year, $9 million contract with the Nationals on Thursday, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports. Soroka started last season with a 6.39 ERA and 1.51 WHIP after nine starts with the White Sox. His performance improved dramatically after moving to the bullpen, posting a 2.75 ERA and 1.22 WHIP alongside a 60:20 K:BB over 36 frames as a reliever. The Nationals will attempt to transition Soroka back into a starting role, per Andrew Golden of The Washington Post, but given the 27-year-old's injury history and the fact he hasn't reached 100 innings since 2019, the Nationals may look to limit his workload.
The Nationals signed Weigel to a minor-league contract Dec. 6. The 30-year-old righty held a 2.45 ERA and 25:12 K:BB over 22 innings between Double-A Chattanooga and Triple-A Louisville in the Reds organization in 2024. Weigel last pitched in the majors in 2021 and is likely to begin the 2025 campaign in the bullpen at Triple-A Rochester.
The Nationals signed Pilkington on Thursday to a minor-league contract that includes an invitation to spring training, Bobby Blanco of MASNSports.com reports. Pilkington spent the 2024 season at Triple-A Reno in the Diamondbacks organization, holding a 5.91 ERA and 79:49 K:BB over 77.2 frames. The left-hander saw significant action at the major-league level with the Guardians in 2022, posting a 3.88 ERA across 58 innings. He'll likely begin the 2025 season in the rotation at Triple-A Rochester.
Rainey was non-tendered by the Nationals on Friday, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports. Rainey completed his first full campaign since undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2024. He understandably showed rust early on, but he managed a 2.88 ERA with a 22:11 K:BB across 25 innings in post All-Star break action. That makes Friday's move mildly surprising, though he should have the chance to latch onto another big-league roster.
Thompson (elbow) agreed to a one-year contract with the Nationals on Thursday to avoid arbitration, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports. Thompson underwent Tommy John surgery shortly after reporting to spring training. He's expected to miss at least part of the 2025 regular season, though he should contribute out of the Nationals' bullpen once healthy.
The Nationals selected Hassell's contract from Triple-A Rochester on Tuesday, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports. Hassell's star has faded since he was viewed as a top-100 prospect a year ago, as he managed just a .241/.319/.328 batting line over 85 games covering three levels during the 2024 minor-league season. However, the 23-year-old is still viewed highly enough that the Nationals didn't want to expose him to the Rule 5 Draft.
Garcia went 2-for-5 with a solo home run and an additional RBI in Sunday's loss to the Phillies. Garcia took Aaron Nola deep in the opening frame for his 18th home run of the year. Garcia later added an RBI single in the fifth, but the Nationals ultimately fell short 6-3 in the season finale. The 24-year-old Garcia showed tremendous growth in 2024, setting career-highs across the board. The infielder finishes his breakout-season with a .282 batting average, 18 home runs, 70 RBI, 58 runs scored and 22 stolen bases in 140 games played.
Irvin (10-14) took the loss Sunday against the Phillies, allowing six earned runs on five hits and three walks in 4.1 innings. He struck out three. Irvin stumbled out of the gates, allowing the bases to be loaded with zero out in the opening frame. He managed to limit the damage to two runs by inducing a pair of fielders choices, but Irvin ran into trouble again in the fifth inning. The right-hander loaded the bases with zero out, allowing a pair of runs to score on a Kyle Schwarber single and later a Weston Wilson double, giving the Phillies a 6-1 advantage. The 27-year-old Irvin finishes his second professional campaign with a respectable 4.41 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 156:52 K:BB in 187.2 innings (33 starts). Irvin will look to improve his consistency next season after he limped to the finish line in 2024, pitching to a 5.90 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 57:23 K:BB in 71.2 post All-Star break innings.