Nationals Option More Players to Triple-A as MLB Roster Starts to Finalize
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Cuts are coming fast and furious for the Washington Nationals at this point on the calendar. And that has resulted in some notable names being optioned to Triple-A Rochester.
One of the biggest surprises was their decision to cut star catching prospect Harry Ford from camp and begin his season in the minors. He was seen as someone who could compete for a starting role right out of the gates, but the organization felt it was better for him to get everyday reps in Triple-A.
Now, on Thursday, some more notable names have been optioned and reassigned to minor league camp. In an announcement made by the team, they revealed that right-handed pitchers Josiah Gray and Julian Fernandez and outfielder Robert Hassell III were optioned to Rochester, while left-handed pitcher Zach Penrod was reassigned.
Starting Rotation Almost Finalized After Josiah Gray's Option
With Gray working his way back from Tommy John surgery, this wasn't the most surprising decision. In fact, according to Spencer Nusbaum of The Athletic, the righty expected that he would be optioned to the minors to start this season. Both manager Blake Butera and Gray were on the same page when they said he needs to work on getting his velocity back, so it will be interesting to see what happens if and when that happens.
But with Gray now starting this year in Rochester, the starting rotation for the Nationals seems close to being finalized. Cade Cavalli is the Opening Day starter. Joining him in some order will be Zack Littell, Foster Griffin, Miles Mikolas and either Jake Irvin or Brad Lord.
The latter two will battle it out for the final spot. President of baseball operations Paul Toboni previously stated they would like Lord to be a starter, but he didn't close the door on using the right-hander out of the bullpen. Meanwhile, following a disastrous showing in 2025, Irvin has looked strong this spring and might have pitched his way into the rotation.
Optioning Robert Hassell III Was Surprising
While the decision to option Gray to Triple-A Rochester might not have been too surprising, the choice to start Hassell in the minors certainly was a bit eye-opening. Not only had he been performing well at the plate this spring with a slash line of .286/.310/.321, but it seemed like a shoo-in that Washington was going to keep him on their big league roster to start the year after he finished 2025 in the majors.
There are still things Hassell needs to tweak when it comes to his offensive game. Adding more power and cutting down on the strikeouts would take things to the next level for him, and the Nationals seem to believe the best chance for him to do that is by getting everyday reps in Triple-A. However, it's still a surprise to see the once-top prospect not start this season in The Show.
Bullpen Picture Starting to Take Shape
While optioning Fernandez to Triple-A won't be as headline-grabbing as the Gray and Hassell decisions, it's still a notable move the Nationals made. Claimed off waivers from the Los Angeles Dodgers last year, the right-hander appeared in three MLB games for Washington and allowed one run across three innings pitched with four strikeouts and one walk.
Throughout the offseason, it appeared like he was going to be a part of this bullpen just based on the fact that there weren't a ton of additions made. But when the Nationals started to add more waiver claims and minor league signings to the equation, there was a clear competition that was going to take place throughout spring training.
Fernandez didn't help himself with his performance, and that has now trimmed the list of options down for Washington's decision makers ahead of Opening Day. And with multiple veteran pitchers performing well, it seems like there could be an older group that makes up this relief staff in 2026.
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