Nationals' Patrick Weigel: Minors pact with Washington
Rotowire
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.
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Nationals' Konnor Pilkington: NRI with Washington
Rotowire
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.
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Nationals' Evan Reifert: Taken in Rule 5 draft
Rotowire
The Nationals selected Reifert with the fifth pick in the Rule 5 draft Wednesday, JJ Cooper of Baseball America reports.
Reifert has been a known reliever prospect for a couple years, thanks largely to some very high strikeout rates in the lower levels. He missed most of 2023 with a shoulder injury but had a strong showing down the stretch last season at Double-A, logging a 1.96 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and 65 strikeouts in 41.1 innings. Reifert will likely begin the year in a low-leverage role, but there's a chance for upward mobility in a shallow Nationals bullpen.
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Nationals' Tanner Rainey: Non-tendered by Nats
Rotowire
Rainey was non-tendered by the Nationals on Friday, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.
Rainey is coming off his first full campaign since undergoing Tommy John surgery. He understandably showed rust early on in 2024, but he managed a 2.88 ERA with a 22:11 K:BB across 25 innings following the All-Star break. That makes Friday's move mildly surprising, though Rainey should have the chance to latch onto another big-league roster.
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Nationals' Mason Thompson: Agrees to deal with Nats
Rotowire
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.
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Nationals' Andry Lara: Added to 40-man roster
Rotowire
The Nationals selected Lara's contract from Double-A Harrisburg on Tuesday, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
The 21-year-old is now shielded from the Rule 5 Draft. Lara spent the 2024 campaign split between High-A Wilmington and Harrisburg, finishing with a 3.34 ERA and 132:44 K:BB over 134.2 frames. He'll likely begin the 2025 season at Triple-A Rochester.
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Nationals' Robert Hassell: Gets spot on 40-man roster
Rotowire
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.
Helvey signed a minor-league contract with the Nationals on Saturday which includes an invitation to spring training, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.
Helvey has spent the past seven years with the Giants and spent most of the 2024 season with Triple-A Sacramento. Across 39 outings, Helvey posted a 5.17 ERA, 1.43 WHIP and 97:35 K:BB across 71.1 innings. The 27-year-old right-hander will have a chance to earn a spot on the Nationals' major-league roster during spring training.
