Nationals Release Veteran Reliever Who Was Vying for Bullpen Spot
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Entering the offseason, the weakest area of this Washington Nationals roster was their bullpen.
Not only did that unit finish 2025 with the worst ERA in the majors, but the group was missing big-time arms from top to bottom. How aggressively the new front office was going to address that shortcoming wasn't clear, and when they went through the majority of the winter without adding pieces to the relief staff, there was some concern.
However, the start of 2026 saw some major action when it came to adding bullpen arms. From waiver claims to minor league contracts, the Nationals went into spring training with a solid group to evaluate. And when the performances by the majority of that unit were strong, it created a tough situation for Washington when it came to trimming their pitching staff.
Nationals Release Veteran Reliever Drew Smith
Per an announcement made by the team, they revealed that veteran reliever Drew Smith was released. Signed to a minor league deal in mid-February, the 32-year-old was seen as a real candidate to make the Opening Day roster since he was healthy after returning from Tommy John surgery. With the Nationals needing more experienced relievers, he had a real chance to be a key part of this bullpen.
Smith, for his part, performed well during spring training. Across his six outings, he didn't allow a single run and gave up just two hits across 5 1/3 innings pitched with seven strikeouts and two walks. And after manager Blake Butera previously sung the praises of Smith earlier in camp, this decision was a bit of a surprise.
But according to Mark Zuckerman of NatsJournal, Washington would have had to add Smith to the MLB roster on March 21 or he could trigger his opt-out clause. The Nationals still aren't ready to finalize their Opening Day group, so they couldn't promise that Smith would be part of it yet. Because of that, the veteran reliever will be looking for a new opportunity days before the start of the season.
Three More Cuts Will Need to Be Made by in Nationals Bullpen
There are now 11 relievers remaining in camp following the release of Smith: right-handers Clayton Beeter, Andre Granillo, Cole Henry, Brad Lord, Griff McGarry, Orlando Ribalta, Paxton Schultz and Gus Varland, and left-handers Cionel Perez, PJ Poulin and Ken Waldichuk.
Washington will have three more cuts to make to get down to eight. This regime has talked about wanting to have versatility, and that includes their relief pitchers having options so they can move them up and down the MLB and Triple-A levels as needed.
With that in mind, only Perez and McGarry don't have options remaining, as Perez is another veteran and McGarry is the team's 2025 Rule 5 Draft pick who has to stay on the 26-man roster for the entire season or else he will have to get offered back to the Philadelphia Phillies. Because of that, there is a belief he'll go back to the Nationals' NL East rivals when the Opening Day roster is finalized.
It will be interesting to see how Butera and president of baseball operations Paul Toboni want to set up their first bullpen in their first season in charge. But with Smith now no longer part of the equation, there is one less option to choose from.
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