Riley Adams’ time in the Nationals organization is over.
The veteran catcher has declared free agency after the 2026 season, a move that comes after he never made it back to the majors this year. Adams spent the entire 2026 campaign at Triple-A Rochester, even after Drew Millas went down with an injury. Washington still chose to bring up Harry Ford instead, a clear sign Adams had slipped into pure organizational depth.
That’s a sharp turn for a player who, not all that long ago, looked like he could settle in as a long-term piece behind the plate alongside Keibert Ruiz. Adams came to Washington in 2021 in the trade that sent Brad Hand to the Toronto Blue Jays, and over parts of five seasons with the Nationals he saw big-league action in stretches, including some extended starting chances.
The production, though, never quite caught up. In parts of five seasons, the 30-year-old hit .215/.291/.361 with a .651 OPS and 21 home runs in 819 plate appearances.
His best path to sticking was always going to be tied to more consistent offense, and that never really arrived. He reached an on-base percentage above .300 only once, and strikeouts remained a major issue.
His 2025 season laid that out plainly. Adams played a career-high 83 games and hit .186/.252/.308, while drawing 18 walks against 110 strikeouts.
Washington brought him back last offseason for depth under the new front office, but the year played out in a way that left little doubt about his standing. As a minor league free agent, Adams is able to test the market earlier than MLB free agents, and he now heads into the search for his next landing spot.
With his defense and power still giving him some value, Adams should at least have a chance to land a minor league deal elsewhere. Where that opportunity comes from is the next question.
In Other News...
Nationals Catching Battle Just Got More Complicated This Offseason
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Now Adams is on the market after being outrighted off the 40-man roster, leaving Washington to sort through a position that is clearly in flux. If he does not come back, the opening could push Maxwell Romero Jr. farther up the depth chart, making the next few weeks especially important for how the Nationals map out their catching plans. [Read more 🡒]
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Nationals Giving One Sleeper Prospect A Big Chance To Rebound
The Nationals are using the Arizona Fall League to give a handful of young players extra work, and Jarlin Susana heads the group as the systems top-ranked prospect headed to the desert. He will be joined by five others, including outfielder Jorgelys Mota, whose profile has quietly grown inside the organization as the club looks for more chances to see what he can do in live game action.
Mota is the kind of sleeper prospect the Fall League can be especially useful for, since Washington wants to keep building his reps after a season that was interrupted by injuries. The organization also shifted him to center field this year to tap into his athleticism, so the AFL should offer another important look at how that transition is coming along. [Read more 🡒]