Decision looms for Nats and Nathan (Albers, Nathan released)

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - The time has come for the Nationals and Joe Nathan to make a decision on each other.

Per Major League Baseball's new collective bargaining agreement, the Nationals have until noon Eastern time today to either inform Nathan he has made their opening day roster, grant him his unconditional release or pay him a $100,000 retention bonus, which would allow Nathan to begin the season in the minor leagues with a new deadline of June 1 to opt out if he isn't called up to Washington.

It's a convoluted process that was tweaked in the new CBA signed over the winter, but it essentially mandates a decision being made today unless the Nats are willing to pay Nathan $100,000.

The 42-year-old reliever, who is here on a minor league deal, has impressed this spring in a last-ditch attempt to return following his second career Tommy John surgery. After a scoreless inning Sunday against the Astros, Nathan owns a 3.86 ERA in 12 Grapefruit League appearances, allowing five runs in 11 2/3 innings with a fastball that has regularly sat at 92 mph.

The Nationals bullpen is crowded, with Shawn Kelley, Blake Treinen, Joe Blanton, Oliver Pérez and Sammy Solis all but assured of roster spots, and Enny Romero (who is out of options) and Koda Glover having made extremely strong cases for themselves this spring.

The team also is debating whether to use one of its seven bullpen slots on a long man, choosing from a group of veterans that includes Vance Worley, Jeremy Guthrie, Matt Albers and Jacob Turner.

So the deck appears to be stacked against Nathan, owner of 377 career saves but only 6 1/3 major league innings pitched since 2014.

Regardless of the outcome, manager Dusty Baker made it clear Sunday he believes Nathan has proven he can still pitch in the big leagues.

"Yes, definitely, 91-92 (mph) is plenty," Baker said. "The slider. Then he's shown he had a changeup, but he never threw it before. Now he's throwing some pretty good changeups, too. I mean, Joe has enough to pitch in the big leagues, depending on where you use him. But he's had a good spring also."

Update: The Nationals announced this morning that they have granted Nathan and Albers their unconditional releases.