Nationals Add Potential Major League Reliever Through Waiver Claim
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The Washington Nationals haven't done a ton to address their roster weaknesses so far this winter.
Trading for star catching prospect Harry Ford was the most notable move they have made. But that also required them to ship out rising reliever Jose A. Ferrer, who projected to be their closer in 2026 and was seen as the team's best bullpen arm.
For a team that had the worst relief ERA in the majors last season, not replacing the big left-hander is a bit worrying as Opening Day gets closer. Then add in the fact that Sauryn Lao was released to pursue an opportunity in Japan, and the already-thin unit has gotten more depleted on paper.
Thankfully, the Nationals added a big league-caliber arm to the mix on Friday, as the team announced they claimed right-handed pitcher Paxton Schultz off waivers from the Toronto Blue Jays. No corresponding move was needed because they had an open spot on their 40-man roster.
Washington has claimed right-handed pitcher Paxton Schultz https://t.co/0k1OLmvvhZ
— Nationals Communications (@NationalsComms) January 9, 2026
Schultz, who was a 14th-round pick of the Milwaukee Brewers back in 2019, didn't make his MLB debut until last year with the Blue Jays after they acquired him via a trade during the 2021 season.
The 28-year-old had a solid showing in the bigs. He finished his debut campaign with a 4.38 ERA across 13 outings (two starts), while striking out 28 batters in 24 2/3 innings pitched and issuing just eight walks.
Those numbers don't necessarily jump off the page, but his underlying metrics showed there is some upside when it comes to his game. First, his expected ERA of 3.83 shows he was a bit unlucky. And his strikeout rate of 25.5%, his whiff rate of 27.4%, his walk rate of 7.3% and his hard hit rate of 35.6% were all better than the league average.
Paxton Schultz Could Be Immediate Bullpen Contributor for Nationals
Because Washington is in desperate need of consistent bullpen arms, there's a good chance Schultz plays a major role for them in 2026 right out of the gate if he has a good showing during spring training.
Right now, it's hard to pencil in who is going to fill out the relief staff, especially if the new regime is considering moving one or both of Jake Irvin and Mitchell Parker to the bullpen after they struggled as starters last year.
While Schultz doesn't necessarily have a proven track record at the big league level, he did flash some upside with Toronto and seems to be improving after he was converted into a reliever later in his minor league career.
Paxton Schultz records his EIGHTH strikeout 😮
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 20, 2025
He ties the Major League record for most strikeouts by a reliever in their debut 👏 pic.twitter.com/qzaKmXw1az
At the very least, the Nationals added a major league arm who pitched innings for the American League champions last year and didn't have to give up anything to land him. It's the latest low-risk move by this new regime as they look to improve this roster heading into the upcoming season.
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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