Nationals Reportedly Make Important Roster Decision Regarding Cionel Perez
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The Washington Nationals are getting closer to finalizing their Opening Day roster.
On Monday, it was announced that oufielder Christian Franklin and right-hander pitcher Orlando Ribalta had both been optioned to Triple-A Rochester. This duo was in a competition for roster spots, but the Nationals decided it would be best for them to begin the 2026 season in the minors.
That leaves some dwindling options for who will be heading out to the Midwest when Washington takes on the Chicago Cubs on March 26 for Opening Day. However, according to MLB insider Francys Romero, the Nationals' decision makers have made up their mind on the status of veteran reliever Cionel Perez and will be adding him to the 26-man roster.
Cionel Perez Will Reportedly Make Nationals Roster
Signed to a minor league deal on Feb. 16, there were questions regarding how the veteran left-hander would look this spring. He was coming off his worst full season in the bigs with an 8.31 ERA across his 19 outings that caused the Baltimore Orioles to designate him for assignment and even put him on the developmental list last year.
But after giving Perez a shot, Washington is ready for the established reliever to be part of their bullpen to start the 2026 campaign. That comes after a strong performance during spring training where he gave up no runs and just two hits across seven innings in seven appearances. He also rung up seven batters and walked just one, proving that he got his control back a bit.
The hope is Perez will be a massive addition to this Nationals bullpen. Prior to his issues last season, he was a staple for the Orioles with ERA figures of 1.40 in 2022, 3.54 in 2023 and 4.53 in 2024. While those numbers steadily increased, he made 60-plus appearances in each of those campaigns, which is something Washington would welcome if he gets back to the version he once was.
Nationals Move Paxton Schultz to IL to Make Room for Perez
Because Perez was not on the 40-man roster the Nationals had to make an additional roster move to make room for the lefty. At the time of the previous publication, no official announcement was made regarding if Perez was going to be added or not. That left some speculation regarding who it would be since Ribalta and Franklin were optioned to Triple-A Rochester but still remained on the 40-man.
However, Washington made things official when they announced that Paxton Schultz was moved to the 15-day injured list with right elbow inflammation. Perez will now take his spot on the roster, which will make him part of the Opening Day group.
The Nationals will now have a crucial veteran arm with major upside as part of their bullpen, and the hope is that he can be a key piece throughout the entire year.
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