Things are still hectic for the Washington Nationals as they continue shaping their roster.
Although the front office was relatively quiet during the winter in terms of major acquisitions, the last two months have seen the Nationals actively working the waiver wire and targeting lower-tier free agents, particularly to strengthen their pitching depth.
Even with pitchers and catchers already in camp for spring training, president of baseball operations Paul Toboni has continued adding talent, giving new manager Blake Butera more options ahead of finalizing the Opening Day roster.
Washington’s latest move, first reported by SNY’s Michelle Margaux, brings in Drew Smith. The longtime New York Mets reliever agreed to a minor league contract that would pay him $1.75 million if he earns a spot on the major league roster.
Smith is coming off Tommy John surgery, a procedure he underwent in July of 2024 that caused him to make only 19 appearances that year and miss all of the 2025 season. However, the expectation is that he’ll be ready to go right away to begin this campaign, so there’s a chance he could be a factor for the Nationals immediately.
The 32-year-old was a former third-round pick of the Detroit Tigers back in 2015. But after he was dealt to the Tampa Bay Rays in April of 2017 and eventually the Mets later that season, he didn’t make his major league debut until the summer of 2018.
What Nationals Could Be Getting in Drew Smith
Since debuting, he owns a 3.48 ERA and ERA+ of 115 across 191 career appearances (one start). He’s struck out 202 batters in 196 1/3 innings pitched while walking 77. He’s been effective at inducing swing and miss, and he’s also been elite at stranding runners with a left on-base percentage at almost 80%.
It’s unclear what version of the right-hander Washington will be getting since Smith’s latest Tommy John surgery was the second of his career. However, if he’s able to return to some semblance of his past form, then the Nationals could have added a true weapon to their bullpen.
Spring training will be important to see what Smith can bring to the table. After such a long time on the shelf, he’ll have to prove he can get big league hitters out consistently if he’s going to make their MLB roster.
But the hope is the veteran can still be an effective bullpen arm. And if that’s the case, then Washington will have added a guy with swing-and-miss stuff to bolster their relief staff.
