Nats non-tender Finnegan and Rainey, making both free agents

The Nationals surprisingly parted ways with Kyle Finnegan tonight, choosing not to tender a contract to their All-Star closer four months after turning down trade offers for him.

The club also non-tendered reliever Tanner Rainey, the last remaining active member of the 2019 World Series roster, before this evening’s leaguewide 8 p.m. deadline.

Five other unsigned arbitration-eligible players were tendered contracts: Second baseman Luis García Jr., catcher Riley Adams, left-hander MacKenzie Gore and right-handers Josiah Gray and Derek Law. Reliever Mason Thompson, who missed the entire season following Tommy John surgery, already agreed to terms on a one-year contract with the team Thursday evening.

The decision to let Finnegan become a free agent with one year left of club control was unexpected, especially after general manager Mike Rizzo opted not to accept offers for him at the July 30 trade deadline while dealing setup men Hunter Harvey and Dylan Floro for prospects. In non-tendering him now, the Nationals receive nothing in return for a proven late-inning reliever who ranked second in the National League this season with 38 saves.

Finnegan’s late-season struggles, though, may have changed some club officials’ minds about him. Owner of a 1.98 ERA on July 4 (shortly before he was named an All-Star for the first time), he saw that number skyrocket to 5.93 over his final 28 appearances, leaving his season-ending mark a pedestrian 3.68. That marked four straight years in which he finished with an ERA between 3.51 and 3.76.

Finnegan’s expected salary bump in his final year of arbitration also likely played a role in this decision. He made $5.1 million this season and was projected to make $8.6 million in 2025, according to MLB Trade Rumors.

Whatever the reason, this move immediately removes one of the most consistent and most respected players on the team. Finnegan, who made the Opening Day 2020 roster and remained in the big leagues the entirety of the last five seasons, would have been the longest-tenured player on the club following tonight’s non-tender of Rainey (who debuted in 2019). He also served as the club’s union representative.

Originally signed to a major league contract after six seasons stuck in the Athletics’ farm system, Finnegan ranks third in Nationals history with 88 saves (trailing only Chad Cordero and Drew Storen) and 291 pitching appearances (trailing only Tyler Clippard and Storen). He never spent a day on the injured list in five seasons in D.C.

The decision to non-tender Rainey comes after the Nats showed significant patience with the right-hander as he recovered from Tommy John surgery performed in August 2022. He returned to make one appearance at the end of the 2023 season, then spent the entirety of this season in the major league bullpen despite a clearly diminished fastball and poor results through the first half.

Manager Davey Martinez buried Rainey in the bullpen and used him only in low-leverage situations for most of the season, but there were glimmers of promise late. Over his final 21 appearances in August and September, he posted a 2.14 and 1.000 WHIP, lowering his season marks to a more respectable 4.76 and 1.490.

Having waited so long for him to improve, the Nationals seemed to be sending the message they intended to bring Rainey back for another season. Eligible for free agency next winter, he was due to earn about $1.9 million in 2025, up from $1.5 million this year.

In the end, they decided not to bring Rainey back, and in the process cut ties with the last remaining player from their 2019 championship roster, with Victor Robles designated for assignment in May and Patrick Corbin’s contract expiring at season’s end. The longest-tenured players in the organization now are García, 24, and Joan Adon, 26, who both signed as international free agents in 2016.