The Washington Nationals are still sorting through the fallout of a rough 2026 season, and two more names have already moved on. On Thursday, right-handers Justin Lawrence and Max Kranick each elected minor league free agency, putting themselves on the market well before the winter really gets going.
For the Nationals, it’s another reminder of how quickly the offseason can turn into roster cleanup when a team isn’t playing in October. Free agency hasn’t even fully opened, but Washington is already seeing which pieces from last year’s group are headed elsewhere.
Lawrence and Kranick were both part of the Nationals’ bullpen mix in 2026, and neither was able to find much traction. Lawrence posted a 7.34 ERA and 1.951 WHIP across big-league time with the Pirates, Twins, and Nationals. He reached Washington after coming over from the Minnesota Twins on waivers, with previous stops already including the Colorado Rockies and Pittsburgh Pirates.
Kranick’s season was even tougher. After returning from an injury he suffered while with the New York Mets last year, he finished with a 9.33 ERA and 2.182 WHIP. Washington gave him a 1-year major league deal while he was still working back, but he never really got all the way back on track.
Both pitchers were outrighted off the 40-man roster after struggling to consistently throw enough strikes. Now they’ll look for another organization and, likely, another minor league deal for 2027. Jeimer Candelario is in the same boat as the two right-handers, also entering minor league free agency.
There’s still plenty unsettled about what comes next around the league, especially with the Dodgers having clinched a third consecutive World Series and a lockout looming. But for Lawrence and Kranick, the next step is already clear: a fresh start somewhere else.
In Other News...
Nationals Face A Tough Young-Core Trade Debate This Offseason
Washington spent the deadline straddling two timelines, sending out players such as Curtis Mead and Luis Garcia Jr. while bringing back arms like Connelly Early and Will Dion. It was the kind of move that kept the organization from fully choosing a lane, and it also sharpened the bigger question hanging over the winter: which members of the young core are truly part of the Nationals next contender, and which ones could be used to accelerate the climb toward 2027?
CJ Abrams sits near the center of that debate, since his strong 2026 season only increases his appeal around the league while the clock on his control keeps moving. Beyond him, Washingtons middle-infield depth and prospect pipeline leave names like Luke Dickerson, Yohandy Morales, Coy James and Caleb Lomavita in the conversation as possible chips, even if none of that points to an imminent decision. For a club trying to piece together a more complete roster, the hard part is deciding which young talent is the foundation and which can be cashed in for the missing pieces. [Read more 🡒]
Nationals Face One Big Spending Test On Their Road Back
The Nationals path back to relevance is starting to look less like a quick fix and more like a payroll decision. After a season in which the bullpen was a clear problem, the club is being pushed toward a more aggressive winter if it wants to speed up the climb, with the kind of spending that can turn a promising core into something closer to a contender.
The temptation is obvious: add high-end relief help, reinforce the rotation, and lock up CJ Abrams before his price climbs any further. None of it happens without ownerships backing, though, and that is the real hinge here. Washington can sketch out a bolder roster almost immediately, but the question is whether the organization is ready to pay for the next step instead of just talking about it. [Read more 🡒]
Former Nationals Could Put Washington Fans In A Tough Hall Debate
Several former Nationals are eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame conversation, and the list offers a familiar mix of franchise staples and short-term additions from recent seasons. The group includes Ryan Zimmerman, Jordan Zimmermann, Wilson Ramos, Jon Lester, Starlin Castro, Jonathan Lucroy, Asdrbal Cabrera, Alex Avila and Will Harris, with the article weighing what each meant in Washington and how much their overall careers might matter once Hall voters take a look.
For Nationals fans, the uncomfortable part is that the ballots are unlikely to produce much suspense. Zimmerman is the one name with even a faint Hall case, but his stay on the ballot should be brief, while Lester stands out more for what he accomplished elsewhere than for his lone season in Washington. The rest figure to be more footnotes than contenders, which still makes for an interesting reminder of how many familiar faces passed through D.C. without leaving a true Cooperstown track. [Read more 🡒]