Earlier this week, the Washington Nationals made news down on the farm with the promotion of multiple prospects. With the moves of outfielder Daylen Lile and righty reliever Marquis Grissom Jr. from AA Harrisburg to AAA Rochester, the Red Wings had to clear some room on their active roster.
Unfortunately for a pair of Red Wings players, that meant that they would have to be released from the club, with one of them being a former fan favorite outfielder for the Nationals. As for the two moves that were made, the team released lefty Garvin Alston, who had struggled through 7 relief appearances this season, pitching to a 7.36 ERA.
However, Alston was not the name that many fans might recognize, as the team had to release Stone Garrett, who had become a beloved figure in the organization by teammates and fans alike. He provided one of the best moments of the regular season last year, when he homered in his first big league at-bat after returning from a devastating leg injury suffered near the end of the 2023 season in the Bronx.
I was admittedly in the camp of those who wanted Garrett to make the team out of spring training, but after being designated for assignment before camp had even gotten too deep, the writing was on the wall that he likely would not be around for too much longer. Making matters worse, he got off to an absolutely abysmal start to his 2025 season, with an .087/.176/.130 slash line with just a .306 OPS in 15 games.
If Garrett had at least been hitting well, he likely could have earned another opportunity to return to the big league level, especially considering the early struggles of Josh Bell. The Nationals desperately need a right-handed hitting power threat in their lineup, which is mostly filled with lefty bats. Nonetheless, I am hoping that Garrett is able to be picked up by another organization, and that he will have a chance to earn another chance at breaking back into the big leagues.
The last bit of fallout from this move was that former Baylor University outfielder and 2022 5th round pick Jared McKenzie was promoted from High-A Wilmington to AA Harrisburg, taking the place of Lile in the outfield equation there. I actually did an interview with Jared last year before spring training, and if you want to check that out I will link it here.
What do you think of Stone Garrett being released? As always, please let me know on X, @DCBerk.