From a few pitching reclamation projects to an exciting prospect behind the dish, the Washington Nationals have made some sneaky moves to bolster their roster.
The Nationals' biggest offseason move may have been trading Mackenzie Gore, but several new additions could inject some needed life into the 2026 roster.
Most of Washington's signings have been minor, with some deals to avoid arbitration mixed in with minor league contracts. A few moves, though, could help inch the franchise back towards its 2019 glory days.
1) Foster Griffin, LHP, signed to a 1-yr contract (coming from Yomiuri Giants in Japan's NPB)
A pretty under-the-radar signing, the pickup of 30-year-old Foster Griffin could pay big dividends for the Nats.
Griffin has just over one year of service time under his belt, having previously played for Kansas City and Toronto. In his time in the majors he was largely unproductive, the owner of a 6.75 ERA.
The kicker? He hasn't played stateside since 2022.
Since his last stint in the U.S., Griffin has been playing in Japan in the NPB, largely seen as the second-best baseball league in the world.
And he has been dealing.
In his three seasons in Japan, he has pitched to ERAs of 2.75, 3.01 and 1.62. He has seen his FIP drop every season, and has been excellent at avoiding the long ball.
This is a low-risk, high-reward signing for Washington. At the bare minimum, Griffin can be a left-handed presence with a shot to crack the starting rotation and eat some innings.
But the Nationals are hoping for more than that. If Griffin can continue his trajectory of improvement from Japan, he can be a high-level arm in Washington's rotation.
2) Ken Waldichuk, LHP (claimed off waivers from the Tampa Bay Rays)
After trading Mackenzie Gore, the Nationals had no left-handed arms in their rotation. Clearly, they are trying to address that glaring hole in the offseason.
Like Griffin, Waldichuk is a southpaw starter who could bolster a pretty weak Washington rotation. Also like Griffin, Waldichuk hasn't pitched in the majors in years, with his last appearance coming in 2023. Waldichuk missed the 2024 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, and then spent the 2025 season in the minors where he got shelled in his return to the mound.
Waldichuk is certainly a reclamation project, but it's easy to see how he could help the Nationals in 2026 and beyond. Despite his injury history and subsequent two-year hiatus from major league-level pitching, Waldichuk is still just 28 years-old and could be a rotation piece for years if he's able to get back on track.
There's also a history of success, even if it hasn't come in the majors. Waldichuk was a highly productive pitcher in college and the minors -- maybe Washington can bring some of that potential out of him.
3) Harry Ford, C (acquired in a trade from the Seattle Mariners)
A new backup catcher has arrived in 22-year-old Harry Ford, who you may recognize as a key performer on Great Britain's 2023 World Baseball Classic team. And, while he's not an immediate threat to steal the starting spot from Keibert Ruiz, there's some serious upside for Washington fans to be excited about.
The former 12th overall pick in the 2021 draft, Ford will be just 23 at the start of the 2026 season. Needless to say, he's still very young and has a ton of room to grow. He's currently ranked as the 71st prospect in baseball, a catcher known for having far-above-average athleticism for the position, once projected as a potential 20-30 steal player. While he has slowed down a bit since those bullish early projections, Ford is still a great athlete for a catcher who has some upside at the plate.
He's still a work-in-progress, with less than stellar results last season and some work to be done in the framing department, but this is a great pick up for Washington. It's not often you can get a catcher with high-level prospect pedigree and playoff experience at just 22 years old. And, who knows, maybe he can make a run at a starting spot behind the dish sooner rather than later.