Nationals Avoid Horrible Optics by Agreeing to Arbitration Deal With Cade Cavalli

The Washington Nationals made the right decision.

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Earlier in the offseason, the Washington Nationals surprised a lot of people when they decided to tender contracts to all seven of their arbitration-eligible players.

Many expected new president of baseball operations Paul Toboni to create some roster flexibility by letting some of the players from the previous regime hit the open market. But he decided to bring them all back for another year in 2026.

The only thing left to do was figure out a salary number for each member of that group, which is something the Nationals accomplished with the six out of the seven ahead of the deadline. Cade Cavalli was the lone player who couldn't come to terms with Washington, and it looked like the two sides were headed for a hearing.

However, the Nationals announced they agreed to a contract with the 2020 first-round pick on Sunday that includes a deal for the 2026 campaign and a club option for the 2027 season.

The Nationals have avoided salary arbitration with Cade Cavalli and agreed to a one-year contract for 2026 plus a club option for the 2027 season.

— Nationals Communications (@NationalsComms) January 18, 2026

Per Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, the salary this year will be for $862,500, while the option is for $4 million. Cavalli was one of 18 players across Major League Baseball who failed to come to terms with their team.

While teams and players can negotiate to try and agree to a deal so they avoid a hearing, things don't usually get resolved in that way. That's why getting something done on this front is a good look for Washington, as it avoided some terrible optics for the club.

Nationals Agreeing to Deal With Cade Cavalli Avoids Horrible Optics

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Cavalli wanted $900,000 and the Nationals wanted to pay $825,000. That gap was the smallest amongst the 18 players who didn't come to terms, and that tiny bit of money once again made Washington look like a penny-pinching franchise.

There's a good argument to be had that the Nationals would have actually won the arbitration hearing based on the limited body of work the righty has in the majors. However, nickeling and diming a starting pitcher who is expected to have a huge role during the upcoming season and in the future could have poorly impacted them down the line.

So instead of digging their heels in and being stubborn, Washington met Cavalli in the middle and agreed to a $862,500 contract for the 2026 campaign. They also locked themselves into a team-friendly option for 2027 if he lives up to his past first-round ceiling, with the buyout only being $7,500, per Feinsand, if they decide not to pick it up.

Now, the Nationals have officially agreed to a contract with all seven of their arbitration-eligible players. And they did so by avoiding going to a hearing with Cavalli, which would have been a terrible look for a franchise that is trying to move forward in this new era.