Nationals pitchers and catchers report to West Palm Beach on Wednesday, which means that we are getting dangerously close to baseball being back in the Nation's Capital. While new additions like Jorge Lopez, Shinnosuke Ogasawara, and Nathaniel Lowe will be in camp with the Nationals for the first time, there is a reason they were all brought in here in the first place.
They, along with some other additions like Evan Reifert, Amed Rosario, and a couple of returnees in Josh Bell and Trevor Williams will be in charge of replacing a couple of losses from last season's team, and it would be hard to say that this team is not at least better on paper than they were last season.
In case you missed my article yesterday updating Nats fans about where some former Nationals have ended up in free agency, you can find that at the link. But with that being said, let's take a look at 5 former Nationals who are still unsigned with pitchers and catchers reporting around the league this week.
RHP Kyle Finnegan
Kyle Finnegan at this point is one of the best if not the top remaining unsigned reliever on the free agent market. I will say that I am quite surprised that he is still available at this point, as there are still numerous teams out there that need a proven option to close games. Perhaps a reunion with the Nationals is still possible, but I would expect his market to heat up relatively quickly as pitchers and catchers report.
1B/OF Joey Gallo
Joey Gallo is a guy that quite frankly I would be shocked if he gets a big league deal. He was pretty abysmal last season, and his approach at the plate is not going to change regardless of who his hitting coach might be. He does offer a lot of value defensively as either a corner outfielder or first baseman, but his strikeouts are too much to compensate for whatever positives he brings.
RHP Dylan Floro
Dylan Floro was a revelation last year, as he was so good for the Nationals in the first half of the season that he was able to be dealt at the buzzer of the deadline to the Arizona Diamondbacks for Andres Chaparro. He fell off significantly in Arizona, and is likely looking at another minor league deal as he tries to extend his big league career.
LHP Patrick Corbin
A true workhorse for some abysmal Nationals teams over the last few years, Patrick Corbin is a guy that I honestly figured might have been given a chance to start on a team like the Chicago White Sox, given his durability and willingness to take the ball every 5th day that can be valuable for bad teams trying to limit the innings of young arms. A move to the bullpen could also be in his future, but I would not be surprised if Corbin's days in the big leagues have come to an end at this point.
RHP Jacob Barnes
The final member of this list is Jacob Barnes, who has been a solid bullpen arm for the Nationals over the last few years. He has okay stuff and lacks a truly great repertoire, but I could see him getting an MiLB deal before the season starts, with a chance for him to make whatever club signs him.
Would you want to see any of these names return to DC? As always, please let me know on X, @DCBerk.