Nationals Sign Former Red Sox Farmhand, Reunite Him With Paul Toboni

Another depth piece was added by the Washington Nationals.

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At this stage of the offseason, it's become clear what the Washington Nationals aimed to accomplish this winter under their new leadership regime.

With a roster that can't compete with other teams in their division on paper, the front office -- led by new president of baseball operations Paul Toboni -- decided it would be best to focus their attention on creating organizational depth and revamping the farm system.

That resulted in a new minor league training camp being created ahead of spring training and some low-level signings taking place. And following a late-night deal getting done on Monday, the Nationals once again added another pitcher on a minor league contract.

Left-handed pitcher Zach Penrod and the Washington Nationals are in agreement on a minor-league deal, league sources tell The Athletic. Penrod, formerly a prospect with the Red Sox, gets $800K if in majors.

— Will Sammon (@WillSammon) January 20, 2026

As first reported by Will Sammon of The Athletic, Washington and left-handed pitcher Zach Penrod agreed to a minor league deal. If he reaches the majors, he'll earn $800,000.

This is the latest minor league signing the Nationals have done, with the addition of right-handed veteran pitcher Trevor Gott taking place a couple of days earlier. They also claimed right-hander Paxton Schultz off waivers earlier in January and selected right-hander Griff McGarry in the Rule 5 Draft.

All of these arms could play a factor for Washington in 2026 depending on how everything shakes out. And that's one of the reasons why Toboni and his front office continue to add depth in this fashion.

Who Is Zach Penrod?

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When specifically looking at Penrod, he has had an interesting journey to get to this point of his career. Originally signed by the Texas Rangers in August of 2018 after going undrafted, he didn't pitch in an MLB affiliated game from 2019-2023 due to undergoing Tommy John surgery and the minor league season being canceled in 2020.

That led to him joining the Pioneer League from 2021-23, which was an independent professional baseball league. He performed well enough to sign a minor league deal with the Boston Red Sox in August of 2023, and that's where he and Toboni first crossed paths.

Despite underwhelming statistics in 2024 -- an ERA of 5.93 across 15 appearances (five starts) at the Triple-A level -- Penrod was called up for his major league debut by the Red Sox during that year. He actually performed much better in the bigs than he did on the farm, posting a 2.25 ERA in seven outings out of the bullpen.

However, 2025 was a struggle for the lefty, as he began the season on the 60-day injured list with a sprain in his left elbow. And when he was activated later in the year, he struggled and was eventually designated for assignment and claimed by the Los Angeles Dodgers.

How Zach Penrod Could Fit Into Nationals' Plans

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What will be interesting to monitor is how Washington decides to use the 28-year-old since he has both starting and bullpen experience. His success during his short time in the majors was as a reliever, so perhaps that's the route the Nationals push him towards.

But they could also view Penrod as a potential swingman, filling in the gaps of the rotation if someone needs to skip a start or if there is a shuffle in the rotation. Of course, that is going to require the left-hander to actually perform well enough to be called up, which isn't a guarantee based on how he pitched last year.

At the very least, though, Washington added another depth piece to their pitching staff. And with Toboni's familiarity with Penrod, his roster candidacy will be something to keep an eye on.