Nationals Made Multiple Roster Moves That Included Signing Former Dodgers Reliever
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There is a lot that's being discussed regarding the Washington Nationals.
Longtime executive Mike Rizzo was fired alongside manager Dave Martinez, two moves that are set to usher in a new era of Nationals baseball.
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Naturally, much of the attention has been given to that decision and what's next for the franchise, which caused some of the roster moves they made to go a bit under the radar.
Before Washington's game on Tuesday against the St. Louis Cardinals, they had a massive shake up that featured catcher Keibert Ruiz being placed back on the injured list and former Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Luis Garcia being signed to a Major League contract.
We have made the following roster moves:
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) July 8, 2025
- agreed to terms with RHP Luis García on a one-year Major League contract
- recalled C Drew Millas from Triple-A Rochester
- placed C Keibert Ruiz on the 7-day IL
- optioned RHP Eduardo Salazar to Triple-A Rochester
- transferred RHP…
Drew Millas is back with the big league club as Ruiz's replacement.
The Nationals have a lot of figure out when it comes to their catcher position based on how poorly Ruiz has performed this season, so Millas will have an opportunity to showcase himself now that a new regime is in charge.
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But the most notable move was the signing of Garcia.
The 38-year-old inked a minor league deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers this past winter before making the Opening Day roster out of camp.
However, he underperformed compared to expectations with a 5.27 ERA across his 28 outings, striking out 24 batters compared to a staggering 18 walks in 27 1/3 innings pitched.
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That caused the Dodgers to designate him for assignment on June 29 before releasing him on July 4 after he cleared waivers.
Considering how volatile this Washington relief staff has been this season, those numbers don't inspire confidence that Garcia can come in and be a steady presence for the bullpen. But he's been a solid performer for the most part throughout his career, so adding him to the mix as the replacement for Eduardo Salazar gives new interim manager Miguel Cairo a more consistent option to call upon.
Garcia won't change the landscape for the Nationals, but he at least can be a steady contributor if he finds his past form.
For more Nationals news, head over to Nationals On SI.
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