The 2025-2026 offseason for the Washington Nationals has been a pretty interesting one to this point. There has been a ton of turnover within the front office, coaching staff, and player personnel not only at the big league level, but in various level of the minor leagues as well.
Of course, the Nationals have acquired a plethora of prospects, headlined by Gavin Fien among several prospects acquired from the Texas Rangers in the MacKenzie Gore deal, and the team's potential catcher of the future in Harry Ford, acquired from the Seattle Mariners. Fan frustration has mostly stemmed from yet another offseason that lacked any significant spending on new players, which is completely valid.
While the Nationals signed both veteran lefty Foster Griffin and righty Miles Mikolas to 1-year deals, fans were obviously hoping for a bigger splash in the first offseason under Paul Toboni. The Nationals have also been extremely active on the waiver wire, as they have claimed and waived several players over the last few weeks.
Some of the players they have claimed are in big league camp with the team, such as lefty reliever Ken Waldichuk and righty reliever Gus Varland, among others, but some barely even had a cup of coffee with the team before being sent on their way again. For example, George Soriano was claimed off waivers and sent off to St. Louis for righty Andre Granillo.
Another pair of infielders met a similar fate in terms of being sent packing almost immediately, in Mickey Gasper and Tsung-Che Cheng. Gasper's tenure lasted just 9 days before he was designated for assignment, whereas Cheng's term didn't even make it to 48 hours with Washington. However, while the infielders overlapped by just a day with the Nationals, they found a new home elsewhere together.
Both infielders were claimed off waivers by the Boston Red Sox, ironically Paul Toboni's old club, and are now in camp with them doing what they can to make their club. While both infielders might be facing an uphill battle to make the Boston roster, it is a pretty funny coincidence that they both were waived and DFA'd by the same team before ending up on the Red Sox.
With both players' tenures in Washington now being completed, what was your favorite moment of the Mickey Gasper and Tsung-Che Cheng eras?
What do you think of the Red Sox claiming both of these former temporary Nationals off waivers? As always, please let me know on X, @DCBerk.