Rainey was non-tendered by the Nationals on Friday, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.
Rainey is coming off his first full campaign since undergoing Tommy John surgery. He understandably showed rust early on in 2024, but he managed a 2.88 ERA with a 22:11 K:BB across 25 innings following the All-Star break. That makes Friday's move mildly surprising, though Rainey should have the chance to latch onto another big-league roster.
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Nationals' Mason Thompson: Agrees to deal with Nats
Rotowire
Thompson (elbow) agreed to a one-year contract with the Nationals on Thursday to avoid arbitration, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
Thompson underwent Tommy John surgery shortly after reporting to spring training. He's expected to miss at least part of the 2025 regular season, though he should contribute out of the Nationals' bullpen once healthy.
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Nationals' Andry Lara: Added to 40-man roster
Rotowire
The Nationals selected Lara's contract from Double-A Harrisburg on Tuesday, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
The 21-year-old is now shielded from the Rule 5 Draft. Lara spent the 2024 campaign split between High-A Wilmington and Harrisburg, finishing with a 3.34 ERA and 132:44 K:BB over 134.2 frames. He'll likely begin the 2025 season at Triple-A Rochester.
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Nationals' Robert Hassell: Gets spot on 40-man roster
Rotowire
The Nationals selected Hassell's contract from Triple-A Rochester on Tuesday, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
Hassell's star has faded since he was viewed as a top-100 prospect a year ago, as he managed just a .241/.319/.328 batting line over 85 games covering three levels during the 2024 minor-league season. However, the 23-year-old is still viewed highly enough that the Nationals didn't want to expose him to the Rule 5 Draft.
Helvey signed a minor-league contract with the Nationals on Saturday which includes an invitation to spring training, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.
Helvey has spent the past seven years with the Giants and spent most of the 2024 season with Triple-A Sacramento. Across 39 outings, Helvey posted a 5.17 ERA, 1.43 WHIP and 97:35 K:BB across 71.1 innings. The 27-year-old right-hander will have a chance to earn a spot on the Nationals' major-league roster during spring training.
Garcia went 2-for-5 with a solo home run and an additional RBI in Sunday's loss to the Phillies.
He took Aaron Nola deep in the opening frame for his 18th home run of the year. Garcia later added an RBI single in the fifth, but the Nationals ultimately fell short in their season finale. The 24-year-old Garcia showed tremendous growth in 2024, setting career highs across the board. The infielder finishes his breakout season with a .282 batting average, 18 home runs, 70 RBI, 58 runs scored and 22 stolen bases in 140 games played.
