It does not really need to be sugarcoated at this point, but free agency as a fan of the Washington Nationals for the last few years has not been the most fun time. Watching division rivals like the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies spend money to contend year in and year out has become expected, and the Nationals have done the complete opposite.
Multi-year deals have become a thing of the past for this organization, with only Trevor Williams somehow inking a deal beyond 1-year since 2020. Free agency used to be a time when the Nationals would be in the running for big names, even inking superstars like Max Scherzer and Jayson Werth, but nowadays things are quite a bit different.
The Nationals continued their offseason of smaller moves, as they went out and inked yet another former player that President of Baseball Operations is familiar with from his days on the Boston Red Sox. This time, it comes in the form of lefty reliever Zach Penrod, as the two sides agreed to a minor league deal on Monday evening.
Penrod is a 28-year-old lefty who has made just 7 career appearances in the big leagues, and has some uninspiring numbers as a whole. He has a 2.25 ERA, 1.750 WHIP, and 4:3 BB:K ratio in his short time. His numbers in the minors are somewhat more encouraging, however, he is coming off a brutal season in the minors.
In 26 games between AAA Worcester, AAA Oklahoma City in the Dodgers' organization, and a rehab appearance in rookie ball, Penrod posted a 7.83 ERA and 2.310 WHIP while allowing 37 walks while striking out just 32 batters. Those are not exactly the kind of numbers you would want to see from a guy who could factor into the team's bullpen equation by the end of the season, but such is the state of the current Nationals.
While we continue to wait around and see if the Nationals are doing anything other than merely showing interest in a guy like Rhys Hoskins, an actual big leaguer that can be a valuable addition for the upcoming season, it's signings like these that will be important minor league depth. Since the Nationals basically gutted their AAA roster of veterans, the Rochester Red Wings need to be reloaded for the 2026 season.
What do you think of the Zach Penrod signing? As always, please let me know on X, @DCBerk.