Free-agent reliever Kyle Finnegan and the Nationals are in agreement on a one-year contract to bring the right-hander back to Washington, according to sources familiar with the deal.
The deal is pending a physical, sources say.
Finnegan, 33, drew interest from a plethora of teams this offseason, including the Los Angeles Angels, Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs, among others. But a reunion with the Nationals always loomed as a realistic possibility, with general manager Mike Rizzo telling MLB Network Radio on Monday: “We’ve had open discussions with Kyle and his representatives. … We’ve kept in close contact with him. We just haven’t been able to … they just haven’t been able to stay yes.”
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Kyle Finnegan agrees to contract with the Nationals
But on Tuesday afternoon, the two sides finally reached an agreement on a new deal after the Nationals surprisingly non-tendered Finnegan early this offseason. In five seasons in Washington, he established himself as a dependable option in the late innings. He boasts a career 3.56 ERA and 288 strikeouts in 290.1 innings. He’s coming off a season in which he posted a 3.68 ERA, a career-high 38 saves, and 60 strikeouts.
Finnegan is the finishing touch on an offseason that has seen the Nationals sign pitchers Michael Soroka and Trevor Williams, as well as reach agreements with hitters Amed Rosario, Josh Bell and Paul DeJong. But the biggest move was acquiring first baseman Nathaniel Lowe in a trade with the Texas Rangers for left-hander Robert Garcia.
With Finnegan now signed, the best remaining free agents now feature Jose Quintana, Alex Verdugo, David Robertson, Jose Iglesias, Antony Rizzo, Adam Duvall, JD Martinez, David Peralta, Whit Merrifield, Robbie Grossman and Matt Carpenter, among others.