Could Nationals Reunite With Recently-Released Catcher to Improve Depth?
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The most important thing the Washington Nationals should focus on this winter is building a more competitive major league roster.
After solidifying things on the farm through coaching staff and developmental staff hires, the new front office, led by president of baseball operations Paul Toboni, brought in an influx of new talent. But after overachieving on the MLB diamond compared to preseason expectations, it's time for Toboni and the other decision makers to put their attention on improving the big league ballclub.
Part of that involves creating organizational depth with players ready to contribute in case players get hurt or underachieve. And after Riley Adams decided to leave the Nationals this offseason and sign with a new team, catcher should be at the top of the list when it comes to adding depth.
Should Nationals Pursue Reunion With Jorge Alfaro?
Someone Washington could go after is Jorge Alfaro.
Per Charlie Wright of MLB Trade Rumors, the Kansas City Royals released Alfaro on Oct. 23 after he spent the entire year in their minor league system. He's now a free agent and in search for his next opportunity at the age of 33.
Coincidentally, the last time Alfaro appeared in an MLB game was with the Nationals in 2025. After he opted out of his contract with the Milwaukee Brewers on Sept. 1, he signed a major league deal with Washington a day later and was in their lineup a day after that.
Alfaro ended up playing in 14 games for the Nationals to close out the 2025 season. He slashed .256/.256/.308 when he went 10-for-39 with no home runs, two doubles and three RBIs. After the campaign ended, he decided to become a free agent. He then signed with Kansas City and played in the World Baseball Classic for Colombia.
At this stage of Alfaro's career, he likely wouldn't be anything for Washington besides a minor league depth piece in case Keibert Ruiz or Harry Ford got hurt. Current Triple-A catcher Maxwell Romero Jr. is also an interesting option to consider who could change how Toboni and the front office views the catcher situation. However, Alfaro does provide experience and some pop. The former top 100 prospect has played in 510 MLB games and has launched 15 home runs in back-to-back minor league seasons while routinely hitting above-average exit velocities.
Again, Alfaro is not going to be a game-changing addition for the Nationals by any means. And there are certainly much more pressing needs they have to address than adding a depth catcher. But having depth is important, and after Adams already departed the organization earlier this offseason, there is a hole at the catching position that should be filled at some point.
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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