Breaking Down Every Move the Nationals Made as Part of Their Massive Roster Cut
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Major League Baseball required all of its teams to activate players off the 60-day injured list on Nov. 2, and that meant the Washington Nationals were faced with their first tough decisions of the offseason.
With five players on the long-term IL, they were well over the 40-man roster limit. And that meant there were plenty of cuts to come after their first two moves of the offseason were to claim right-handed pitcher Braxton Roxby off waivers and then trade for infielder Nate Furman. Well, as expected, the Nationals were busy on Monday. And that resulted in some notable players being designated for assignment and ending up elsewhere as a result.
Here is everything that took place Nov. 2.
Mitchell Parker DFA'd and Claimed Off Waivers
The first name that stands out in regards to a roster cut is Mitchell Parker.
The left-hander was going to be a DFA candidate this winter before he was injured, so this news doesn't come as a total surprise. He posted a 6.58 ERA across 22 appearances this year before he needed to undergo Tommy John surgery, which was a notable step backwards from the 5.68 ERA he had last season where he had the second-worst mark in Major League Baseball.
Perhaps the most surprising thing is that Parker was claimed off waivers by the Atlanta Braves. They did so knowing that he won't be available to pitch in 2027, so they will likely DFA him again at some point and then stash him in their minor league system. With that in mind, Parker's time in the nation's capital seems all but over.
Paxton Schultz Claimed Off Waivers
The second pitcher who was designated for assignment and claimed off waivers was Paxton Schultz. The right-hander was a waiver claim of the Nationals before the 2026 season, but he failed to be an effective bullpen arm for them with an ERA of 6.40 across 27 appearances (one start).
Schultz was expected to be a long relief man for Washington during this past campaign, but his struggles forced the Nationals to keep him in the minors for the majority of the year. At this stage of the offseason, the Cincinnati Reds decided to bring him in by claiming him off waivers. How long he remains part of their equation remains to be seen, as the could find himself back on the open market before spring training arrives.
Jose Tena Gets DFA'd
When Washington acquired Furman, the writing was on the wall that Jose Tena's time with the team could be coming to an end.
For one, both Furman and Tena are left-handed-hitting infielders. And after Tena slashed just .222/.302.370 with seven home runs, 22 extra-base hits and 27 RBIs across 114 games played, it's not a shock to see the Nationals look in a different direction when it comes to infield depth.
At the time of writing, Tena is still looking for his next team. He was not claimed off waivers, so it will be interesting to see where he ends up over the course of the offseason. The 25-year-old was able to add bat speed to his profile this past season, but that didn't translate to notable offensive success, which likely will limit his number of suitors.
PJ Poulin Elects Free Agency
One of the more interesting decisions was to part ways with PJ Poulin.
The left-hander was good for Washington over the course of the 2026 campaign, as he finished with an ERA of 2.70 over 35 outings (11 starts). His ERA+ of 161 was well above the league average mark, and manager Blake Butera was able to utilize him in multiple ways by having him both open and close games. However, the 30-year-old doesn't have overwhelming stuff in his profile, and with a need to trim the roster down, the decision makers seemingly felt he was expendable.
Keep an eye on a potential reunion here, though. Because he wasn't claimed by another team, he is free to look around at some other options. But the left flexor strain that caused him to hit the 60-day injured list could have every team, including the Nationals, wary about signing him.
Ken Waldichuk Elects Free Agency
It was another tough break for Ken Waldichuk this year, as he had to undergo his second Tommy John surgery. Because of that, him getting DFA'd was not a surprise, especially because he had to be activated off the 60-day injured list.
Waldichuk was originally sent to Triple-A Rochester after he cleared waivers, but he elected to become a free agent instead. It will be interesting to see where the veteran reliever ends up since he's expected to miss most of, if not all of, the 2027 season.
Drew Millas, Matt Waldron Reinstated From 60-Day IL
The Nationals didn't only decide to part ways with players on Monday, though.
They reinstated catcher Drew Millas and right-handed pitcher Matt Waldron from the 60-day injured list, which keeps them part of the equation for now. How long those two remain pieces of the puzzle remains to be seen. But, on paper, Washington now has more catching depth and established pitching options after holding onto Millas and Waldron.
President of baseball operations Paul Toboni is not shy about making moves when it comes to his roster, so both Millas and Waldron could be casualties of future roster moves whenever that time comes.
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Brad Wakai graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Journalism. While an undergrad, he worked at the student radio station covering different Penn State athletic programs like football, basketball, volleyball, soccer and other sports. Brad became the Lead Contributor for Nittany Lions Wire of Gannett Media where he continued to cover Penn State athletics. Currently, Brad is the Publisher for Washington Nationals On SI and covers multiple teams across the On SI network. He is the host of the sports podcast I Said What I Said, where he and his co-host discuss topics across the NFL, College Football, the NBA and other sports. You can follow him on Twitter: @bwakai