Nationals' Waiver Claim of Mickey Gasper, DFA of Andry Lara Is Latest Roster Shake-Up

The Washington Nationals continue to make tweaks to their roster.

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In recent days, the Washington Nationals have started adding more depth to their organization.

The minor league deals handed out days apart from each other to right-handed pitcher Trevor Gott and left-hander Zach Penrod improve the options new manager Blake Butera will have at his disposal in 2026 if both stay on the 40-man roster. That came after they claimed another right-hander pitcher in Paxton Schultz off waivers from the Toronto Blue Jays.

Now, the Nationals are back at it with a roster shake-up, as the team announced they claimed utility man Mickey Gasper off waivers from the Minnesota Twins. To make room on the 40-man roster, Washington opted to designate current top 30 prospect Andry Lara for assignment.

we've claimed UTIL Mickey Gasper off waivers pic.twitter.com/3dvdNWPoe4

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) January 20, 2026

While the Nationals haven't made any major moves when it comes to putting together their big league roster -- outside of the surprising trade that brought star catching prospect Harry Ford to town -- this is the latest example of Paul Toboni and his front office putting their own touch on things.

Gasper is now the second player Washington added on Monday who has ties to the new president of baseball operations from their time together with the Boston Red Sox. Leaning on that experience is something many expected out of the up-and-coming executive, and that's what has transpired during the most recent stage of the offseason.

How everything works out from a big picture standpoint with these players will be interesting to monitor. But it's also worth diving into what the Nationals gained and lost with this latest roster move.

What Nationals Gain by Adding Mickey Gasper

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The 30-year-old was in every sense of the word a utility player this past season with the Twins. He played in the infield at first and second base, in the outfield in left and even caught 19 games while serving as the designated hitter 12 times. That type of versatility is rare, even for the players who win Gold Gloves and Silver Sluggers for their utility role since many only shift across the infield or outfield.

Because of that, there's a good chance Gasper could be a bench piece for Washington during the 2026 campaign if he's able to perform well, which has been an issue for him during his short major league career.

Mickey Gasper's first Major League homer ties the game in the 9th for the @Twins! pic.twitter.com/ZzF3byDbJC

— MLB (@MLB) August 27, 2025

In fact, Gasper didn't record a hit for the Red Sox across 13 games and 18 at-bats during the 2024 campaign. And while he was able to walk four times compared to getting rung up eight, that was not what they envisioned. With Minnesota, he at least was more effective from the plate with a .158/.257/.232 slash line in 45 games. But those numbers aren't going to make anyone blush.

However, he has shown an ability to hit in the minor leagues. He's coming off two straight double-digit home run seasons and slashed .285/.385/.531 across 47 games with the Twins' Triple-A affiliate last year. Translating that to the majors is the next step he has to accomplish. But he at least has shown an ability to be effective at the plate during his professional career.

What Nationals Lost in Andry Lara

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Ranked No. 22 in Washington's farm system, per MLB Pipeline, the right-hander made his MLB debut last year. Unfortunately for both parties, it didn't go well. He had an ERA of 8.79 and walked eight batters with just 10 strikeouts in 14 1/3 innings pitched while giving up 27 hits.

Still, at just 23 years old, there was some hope that the former prized international signing could be a factor for the Nationals at some point based on what he had done earlier in his minor league career. But after a disastrous showing in 2025, he'll now either get claimed by another franchise and get a fresh start since he was designated for assignment or he'll return to Washington after going unclaimed.

Overall, it's clear Toboni viewed Gasper as the more important player to hold a 40-man roster spot than Lara at this point in time regardless of the pitching issues they have. And after getting some of his own players into the organization, he felt someone from the previous was expendable.