On Monday, the Washington Nationals made a flurry of roster moves that included reinstating a couple of injured pitchers from the 60-day Injured List, and saying farewell to a couple of familiar faces. Who were among the casualties?
For starters, the Nationals have now reinstated a group of righties from the IL in Joan Adon, Cade Cavalli, Josiah Gray, and Mason Thompson. While all 4 of the pitchers are at various staged of recovery, there potentially is a chance that we see them all at some point next season. 2024 was a lost year for the latter 3, as they all had Tommy John Surgery and are in the process of making their way back to a big league mound. Adon was injured after a few appearances in the majors this year, and his future with the club appears to be murky at best.
Cavalli, once the Nationals' top pitching prospect and a Top 100 prospect in all of baseball, had a frustrating 2024 as he works his way back from Tommy John. He had numerous setbacks that ultimately forced him to miss the season as a whole, despite his estimated timeline by both himself and by Davey Martinez that he would appear back on a big league mound before the end of the season. Unfortunately this did not come to fruition for Cavalli, but he will be hoping to crack the Nats' rotation in 2025. Gray might very well miss all of the 2025 season, as he had his surgery near the end of July, and will likely need to refine his mechanics in order to put less stress on his elbow.
The Nats' bullpen should get a solid boost next season with the return of flamethrowing righty Mason Thompson. When healthy, his stuff is phenomenal, led by his dangerous fastball that was capable of touching triple digits before the injury. He missed all of 2024, but could very well be in line to be a member of Davey Martinez' "A Bullpen" in 2025, possibly even as a setup man.
Ildemaro Vargas and Joey Meneses have both elected free agency, and will not be members of the Washington Nationals in 2025
As the blurb above reads, the Washington Nationals placed a trio of players on outright waivers, clearing room on the 40-man roster in preparation for the Rule 5 Draft. Besides Vargas and Meneses, righty Michael Rucker was also sent through outright waivers, and has officially declared free agency, likely ending his tenure with the organization.
The moves of Vargas and Meneses honestly come as somewhat of a surprise. I truly believed that Meneses was just going to hang around the organization forever, but he will likely search for an opportunity with a club that might give him a chance to make it back to the big leagues. Already 32-years-old, Meneses' chances of resuming his MLB career are hanging by a thread, but I'll be rooting for him wherever he ends up.
Ildemaro Vargas no longer being a Washington National is not surprising to me, as I did predict it back in September, but I guess I was more so in the mindset that I would believe it when I see it. Vargas, to his credit, was the ultimate professional and clubhouse guy during his time with the club, and as I said in my previous article from September, don't be surprised if he ends up on the coaching staff with Davey Martinez should he not be able to catch on with another club this offseason. Ildy was always the good vibes guy, and I will certainly be hoping he can bring that contagious energy to whatever city he chooses to take his talents to.
The Nationals made the following roster moves:
— Nationals Communications (@NationalsComms) November 4, 2024
-Reinstated Joan Adon, Cade Cavalli, Josiah Gray, and Mason Thompson from the 60-day Injured List.
-Joey Meneses cleared outright waivers and was assigned to Triple-A
Rochester. Meneses is eligible for Minor League free agency and…
What do you think of the Nationals' roster moves from yesterday? As always, please let me know on X, @DCBerk.