Finnegan returning to Nats on $6 million deal, source confirms

JUPITER, Fla. – Kyle Finnegan will be closing for the Nationals in 2025 after all.

Finnegan and the Nats have agreed on a one-year, $6 million contract, three months after the club chose to non-tender its All-Star closer, a source familiar with the deal confirmed. It’s a modest raise from his $5.1 million salary last year, but significantly less than the $8 million to $9 million he was projected to receive via the arbitration process.

The decision to non-tender Finnegan, 33, left the Nationals without an experienced closer, and though general manager Mike Rizzo and Davey Martinez insisted they were comfortable with veteran right-hander Jorge López or young lefty Jose A. Ferrer pitching the ninth inning, the prospect of a reunion with Finnegan always loomed large.

It took until the final days of February, two weeks into spring training, for the two sides to finally find common financial ground. Finnegan, who was holding out for a better deal, never got one from either the Nationals or another major league club.

FanSided.com and ESPN.com were first to report the new contract and its terms.

A member of the Nats bullpen every day for the last five seasons, Finnegan enjoyed a dominant first half in 2024, boasting a 1.98 ERA and 23 saves in 26 chances on July 4. He was selected to his first All-Star team a week later.

Finnegan faltered in the second half, though, beginning with a five-run bottom of the ninth July 29 in Arizona that raised his ERA more than a full point. That meltdown came on the day before the trade deadline, potentially quashing interest from other clubs.

He continued to struggle the rest of the way, finishing the season with a 3.68 ERA, 1.335 WHIP and 38 saves in 43 opportunities.

Despite his flaws, Finnegan has been one of the most durable and consistent late-inning relievers in baseball for a while. He has made at least 65 appearances each of the last four seasons, each of them with an ERA between 3.51 and 3.76. He has compiled 288 strikeouts in 290 1/3 career major league innings. He’s never spent a day on the injured list.

With Finnegan back in the fold, not to mention now the longest-tenured player on the team, the Nationals will be able to slide the other members of a remade bullpen into more favorable roles. López and Derek Law should be their top right-handed setup men, with Ferrer the top lefty for late-game matchups.

Recently signed right-hander Lucas Sims could pitch the sixth or seventh innings, with lefty Colin Poche also in the mix in that role. That leaves two more spots to fill between a group that includes Rule 5 draft pick Evan Reifert, returning right-handers Eduardo Salazar, Zach Brzykcy and Orlando Ribalta, plus non-roster invitees Daison Acosta, Marquis Grissom Jr., Clay Helvey and Jack Sinclair.

The team will need to make a corresponding move to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for Finnegan before the new deal is official.