Washington Nationals Roster
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The San Diego Padres have signed relief pitcher Luis Garcia, according to a tweet from MLB Network's Jon Heyman. Per Heyman, the reliever will earn $7 million in two seasons, $500,000 of which is a signing bonus. The 34-year-old pitched to a 3.24 ERA and a 2.72 FIP in 33.1 innings for the St. Louis Cardinals last season, registering two saves, 34 strikeouts, and eight walks. He'll join a San Diego bullpen that also features Emilio Pagan, Pierce Johnson, Tim Hill, and Craig Stammen in high-leverage roles.
The Washington Nationals have claimed infielder Lucius Fox off waivers from the Baltimore Orioles. The Nationals announced the move on Tuesday in a tweet from the team's official Twitter account. Fox has yet to appear at the Major League level but hit .242 with a .347 on-base percentage, four home runs, and 19 stolen bases in 252 plate appearances for Kansas City's Triple-A affiliate last season. A shortstop for most of his career, the 24-year-old also saw time at second base and in center field last season. He'll give the Nationals some extra infield depth. Washington's other infield options on the 40-man roster include Carter Kieboom, Luis Garcia, Josh Bell, Mike Ford, Alcides Escobar, and Yasel Antuna.
The Washington Nationals re-signed outfielder Andrew Stevenson and veteran left-hander Luis Avilan on Monday. Stevenson avoided arbitration and stands to earn a modest raise from his 2021 salary of $579,100. The 27-year-old remains the team's fourth outfielder, but both he and the Nationals will be hoping for more production in 2022 after he slashed .229/.294/.339 with five home runs and 23 RBI over 213 plate appearances last season. He hit just .184 with a .248 on-base percentage in 136 plate appearances as a starter compared to .319 with a .794 OPS and four of his five homers off the bench. Avilan appeared in only four games last year before needing Tommy John surgery on his elbow.
Washington Nationals outfielder Juan Soto finished second in the NL MVP voting, as MLB announced Thursday. Soto received six first-place votes, and former teammate Bryce Harper took home the award. Soto slashed .313/.465/.534 with 29 homers, nine steals, 111 runs scored, and 95 RBI in 647 plate appearances this season. He led the major leagues in on-base percentage, and finished second for the NL batting title behind only Trea Turner. At 23 years old, there are almost certainly more MVP-caliber seasons ahead for Soto, and he will be a consideration for first overall pick in 2022 fantasy drafts.
Washington Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said he's "hopeful" pitcher Stephen Strasburg (neck) will be ready by Spring Training. He underwent season-ending thoracic outlet surgery in late July. The 33-year-old dealt with right shoulder inflammation earlier in the year, then suffered a neck strain that eventually led to his season-ending surgery. In the past two seasons, Strasburg has thrown just 26 2/3 innings and will be a risky pick in upcoming 2022 fantasy drafts. The 2019 World Series MVP went 1-2 with a 4.57 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, and a 21:14 K: BB over 21 1/3 innings in 2021.