Nationals Shuffle Their Bullpen Again After They Outright Veteran Reliever
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The Washington Nationals have made another change to their bullpen.
Per an announcement by the team, the Nationals revealed they outrighted left-handed pitcher Cionel Perez to Triple-A Rochester after he cleared waivers. The corresponding move was to recall right-hander Orlando Ribalta to their big league roster.
Washington has been searching for answers in their relief staff since the start of the season. Following a strong performance during spring training, that unit has reverted back to struggling like they did last year when they finished with the worst ERA in the majors. However, it seemed like things might be starting to turn around following their strong showing against the New York Mets where they allowed just one run across three games.
Cionel Perez Gets a Reset
Still, there have been clear weak spots in the bullpen, and unfortunately, one of them has been Perez. Signed to a minor league contract this past winter, the hope was that the veteran arm would find has past form from 2022 and 2023 when he recorded ERA+ figures that were above the league average.
That has not been the case, though, as the 30-year-old sits with an ERA of 6.19 across 16 appearances. He's also only struck out nine batters in 16 innings pitched, while he's walked 11. Now, Perez will get the chance to work on some things down in Rochester instead of struggling to produce against major league hitters.
Orlando Ribalta Gets Another Opportunity in the Majors
As for Ribalta, he has been given another opportunity to show what he can do in the bigs. The 28-year-old was recalled earlier this season where he appeared in two games and didn't allow a single run. Across two innings pitched, he gave up one hit, struck out one and walked none as he also recorded a save.
That was a much better showing than what he did in 2025 when he posted an ERA of 7.03 across 22 outings. And ideally, how he performed during his two appearances this year will give him confidence to continue to producing in that fashion when he's called upon during this stint in The Show.
There was always a thought that Ribalta could become this type of bullpen arm. He has been a shutdown guy in the minors with a career ERA of 3.26 across 152 relief outings. And with him getting another shot in the majors, Washington is hoping he can solidify his place in this bullpen for the long-term as they continue to search for their best group of relievers.
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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