Nationals Lose Two More Relievers After They Get Claimed Off Waivers
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Roster moves are starting to happen for the Washington Nationals.
With players needing to be reinstated off the 60-day injured list, plenty of teams around the league have started shuffling things around when it comes to their 40-man roster. That has resulted in a plethora of players getting put through waivers, which gives other clubs the opportunity to add them to their organization.
The waiver process wasn't kind to the Nationals on Thursday, as the team's communications page revealed that right-handed reliever Ryan Loutos had been claimed by the Seattle Mariners and right-handed reliever Zach Brzykcy was claimed by the Miami Marlins.
That also comes on the heels of a few others electing to become free agents instead of accepting their outright assignments to Triple-A Rochester. So in the early going of this offseason, there has already been some roster turnover manufactured by Paul Toboni.
Analyzing Losses of Ryan Loutos and Zach Brzykcy
On the surface, seeing both relievers get claimed off waivers is not a huge loss for the Washington. Loutos first joined the Nationals after they claimed him off waivers from the Los Angeles Dodgers during June of this year. But he did not show well for himself with a 12.00 ERA across 10 outings.
Brzykcy got into more games with 26 appearances, but he also had poor results. The righty, who was signed by Washington as an undrafted free agent in 2020, finished 2025 with an ERA of 9.00. Both players were well below average in ERA+, and it appeared like it would have been hard for them to crack the Opening Day roster next year anyway if they hadn't gotten claimed off waivers.
Nationals Have Clear Path to Bolster Bullpen
Previously, Mason Thompson and Eduardo Salazar elected to leave on their own accord. And with Loutos and Brzykcy no longer with the Nationals after they were claimed off waivers, that takes four relievers who had roles with the big leauge club out of the equation for next year.
Toboni should be identifying who out of the current crop can pitch big-time innings for Washington out of the bullpen in 2026, with the likes of Jose A. Ferrer, Cole Henry and Clayton Beeter written in with pen. Konnor Pilkington, PJ Poulin and Jackson Rutledge could also be part of that group, but if the front office decides to add a couple of outside arms, then spring training will be interesting.
So as the offseason rolls on for the Nationals, it's becoming more and more clear that some bullpen upgrades could be made at some point or another.
