With Javy Guerra and Sam Freeman being outrighted and electing free agency, the Washington Nationals continue to pare down the roster.
Whether they are winning the World Series or finishing tied for last in the Nationals League East, one thing is certain for the Washington Nationals. There may never been an end to the retooling of the bullpen.
The annual bullpen remodel is well underway, with two more pitchers being voted off the island. Javy Guerra and Sam Freeman are the latest to be removed from the roster after being outrighted, and as expected, both will be filing for free agency.
More transactions from the Nationals: Javy Guerra and Sam Freeman have cleared outright waivers and elected free agency. That reduces the 40-man roster to 36.
— Mark Zuckerman (@MarkZuckerman) October 12, 2020
Last week the Nationals bounced relievers Roenis Elias, Paolo Espino, and Aaron Barrett, all of whom also elected to become free agents rather than take a minor league assignment and stay with the organization.
All of whom could rejoin the Nationals this offseason by signing a minor league contract, if the market has dried for them elsewhere.
This is the route Guerra took last offseason.
In mid-May of last year when the Nationals were in full-bullpen implosion mode, Guerra was selected off waivers from the Toronto Blue Jays. He would finish the year 3-1 with a 4.86 ERA in his time with the Nationals. Guerra even pitched two games in the World Series, the first postseason experience of his career.
Granted free agency after the season, Guerra remained on the open marked until February 12th, when he signed a minor league contract to return. He pitched in 14 games this year with an ERA of 4.02.
The journeyman of six major league teams has an outside chance of returning for a third tour of duty with the Nationals.
Freeman took the same route. He was signed late last season as insurance in case a couple pitchers failed or went down with injury. He pitched in five games at AAA-Fresno without allowing a run, though never made it to the big leagues.
After hitting the open market, he too re-signed with the Nationals on February 12th. Freeman was a rare bright spot in a beleaguered bullpen. In seven games he gave up one earned run, then was lost for the season to Tommy John surgery.
With the offseason not evenly officially underway, the Washington Nationals are just getting started in their bullpen reconstruction for 2021.