The Nationals are staring at a busy roster day, and it’s only the start of what could be a hectic month around the league.
Because players can’t be left on the 60-day injured list for the offseason, every 40-man roster has to be trimmed back to 40 by 5 p.m. on November 2. That creates a wave of paperwork, designations and possible claims, and Washington has several decisions to make.
Right now, the Nationals have five players on the 60-day IL who will need to be either removed from the 40-man roster or added back to it: Mitchell Parker, PJ Poulin, Ken Waldichuk, Matt Waldron and Drew Millas. Some of those names are likely to be DFA’d, but that won’t be settled until later in the day.
Washington isn’t alone in dealing with the roster squeeze. San Francisco has its own cleanup job to do, with Buster Posey facing a crowded 40-man situation. As of October 29, the Giants had 56 players on their 40-man roster, and with so many players having landed on the 60-day IL, they now have to pare that group back down.
Paul Toboni has already been active in that space. A few days ago, the Nationals claimed right-hander Braxton Roxby off waivers from the Giants.
Then they swung a minor trade for second baseman Nate Furman, a speedy, contact-oriented infielder. Washington sent Tony Neubeck, an undrafted free agent in 2026, in that deal, and to make room on the 40-man roster, the club designated Richard Lovelady for assignment.
That kind of churn looks like something Toboni and Ani Kilambi may keep doing in the hours ahead. The Nationals have shown they’re willing to keep cycling through the back end of the roster in search of useful pieces, and while the returns have been uneven, Curtis Mead stands out as a success story. With a lot of players around the league expected to be DFA’d today, Washington figures to keep a close eye on the waiver wire.
And this may just be the beginning. Unless a deal somehow gets done, the CBA is set to expire in a month, and once that happens, teams won’t be allowed to make moves. That could push clubs toward a flurry of bigger trades in November, along with plenty of smaller ones as front offices try to shape their 40-man rosters as efficiently as possible.
There are more checkpoints coming quickly. The GM and owner meetings are set for the next couple of weeks, and the non-tender deadline arrives on November 20. For Toboni, the calendar is about to get crowded in a hurry.
In Other News...
Nationals Roster Crunch Just Put More Young Talent At Risk
The Nationals had to clear space before the MLB deadline by activating Drew Millas and Matt Waldron from the 60-day injured list, a move that forced a round of roster shuffling with longer-term implications. Jose Tena and Paxton Schultz were designated for assignment, while Ken Waldichuk was outrighted to Triple-A Rochester, the kind of procedural business that often says as much about the front offices next steps as it does about the players involved.
Mitchell Parker and Schultz were both claimed off waivers, by the Braves and Reds respectively, and PJ Poulin elected free agency after clearing waivers, thinning out the organizations depth a little more in the process. With Rule 5 draft protection decisions still ahead, Washington is not done making cuts, and the next wave of moves could put even more young talent in jeopardy as the club tries to balance present roster needs with protecting its future. [Read more 🡒]
Nationals Offseason Plan Is Starting To Take Shape
The Nationals have already started to shape their offseason roster work with a small but telling move, acquiring infielder Nate Furman from the Giants in exchange for left-handed pitcher Tony Neubeck. To make room, Washington designated Richard Lovelady for assignment, a reminder that even the early winter churn can say plenty about where a front office thinks it needs help and how it wants to build out the edges of the roster.
Paul Toboni has also laid out the broad outline of what comes next for Washington, pointing to bullpen arms, starting pitching and left-handed bats as clear priorities. The Nationals plan to address those needs through both free agency and trades, which suggests this is only the first step in a much busier stretch as the club tries to add depth and balance in a few key spots. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Just Opened Another 40-Man Spot For What Comes Next
The Nationals added another infield option on the margins of the roster mix, landing Nate Furman from the Giants in exchange for minor league left-hander Tony Neubeck. Furman gives Washington a player with some big league experience already on his resume, and his minor league track record has included on-base ability and speed, two traits that can matter for a club trying to build depth around the edges.
To make room, Washington designated left-hander Richard Lovelady for assignment, a move that clears a path on the 40-man roster for whatever comes next. Neubeck, meanwhile, had only recently begun his professional career after signing as a free agent, so the deal is as much about the Nationals immediate roster flexibility as it is about adding a player who may fit into the infield picture down the line. [Read more 🡒]