Nationals Lose Veteran Catcher to Free Agency in First Offseason Move
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The playoffs might be underway, but offseason moves for the Washington Nationals officially got started on Wednesday.
With multiple moves expected to take place this winter as president of baseball operations Paul Toboni continues to reshape this franchise, a notable player made a decision regarding his status with the organization going forward.
According to Mark Polishuk of MLB Trade Rumors, veteran catcher Riley Adams has decided to become a free agent. While major league free agency doesn't begin until five days after the World Series ends, because Adams was outrighted off the Nationals' 40-man roster this year and he has over three seasons of MLB service time, he was eligible to become a minor league free agent if that's the route he wanted to take.
Nationals Lose Depth Catcher in Riley Adams
This isn't the most surprising news, despite the timing.
Adams, who was originally acquired by Washington from the Toronto Blue Jays back in 2021 ahead of the trade deadline the Brad Hand deal, didn't appear in a single MLB game for the Nationals this season. That came after he played in 83 last year. And with backup Drew Millas first making the Opening Day roster in 2026 before top prospect Harry Ford was called up to replace the injured Millas in the middle of the season, it was clear that Adams was further down on the depth chart than before.
At the age of 30, the former third-round draft pick will see if he can be part of a major league roster in 2027. While he didn't get an opportunity to play in the bigs this season, he did have a strong showing in Triple-A that might interest some teams.
Across 82 games with Rochester, Adams slashed .273/.389/.506 with 16 home runs and 50 RBIs. He also had 15 doubles and 80 strikeouts to 41 walks, which are solid numbers for someone who didn't get everyday at-bats. The trick for him will be to carry that over to when he faces major league pitching since he has a career OPS+ that's 20 points below the league average mark of 100. But how he performed this year on the farm could earn him a look this spring.
How the Nationals approach things at catcher will be something to monitor this offseason. Barring a reunion with Adams, Maxwell Romero Jr. will likely take Adams' spot on the depth chart after he played his way to Triple-A this season and showcased some upside at the plate despite the concerning underlying numbers.
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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