Key Subtractions
1B Dominic Smith
It is official; the Dominic Smith experiment failed. The intention of signing Smith to a one-year deal was for Dominic to be an impactful middle-of-the-lineup bat. Smith produced experimental OPS below .700, 12 home runs, and 46 RBI. Smith falls under the category; "40-man roster casualty", meaning that Smith was cut to protect prized minor leaguers from the Rule-5 Draft.
Nationals Top-30 prospects Zach Brzycky, Mitchell Parker, DJ Herz, and Cole Henry were protected from this year's Rule-5 Draft. Most Nats fans would agree that keeping these players from the Rule-5 Draft is far more valuable than retaining Smith.
RP Corey Abbott
Relief pitcher Corey Abbott struggled mightily in the 2023 season, pitching to a 6.64 ERA in 22 appearances for Washington. Abbott bounced between the Major League team and AAA Rochester throughout the season, making starts and relief appearances. Cory is best known by Nats' fans for his atrocious inning of work against Pittsburgh back on August 19, where Abbott allowed eight earned runs in just a single inning.
Abbott was designated for assignment on November 14 and elected free agency three days later, as he went unclaimed by the other 31 Major League teams. Cory, a former second-round pick, will look to find a new home this winter.
RP Carl Edwards Jr.
A nine-year veteran reliever, Edwards Jr. has been solid throughout his career, pitching to a 3.54 ERA across 295 appearances. Edwards Jr. had difficulty staying healthy in the 2023 season after a strong 2022 performance. Carl produced a 2.76 ERA in 63 appearances in his fully healthy 2022 campaign. In 2023, Carl threw just 31.2 innings and pitched to a 3.69 ERA.