Nats send Reifert back to Rays, Herz throws sim game, Corbin signs with Rangers

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – The Nationals won’t be carrying a Rule 5 draftee on their roster this season.

The club returned Evan Reifert to the Rays earlier today, conceding the struggling reliever wasn’t going to be able to not only crack the Opening Day roster but remain there the entire year. He now heads back to Tampa Bay, which left him unprotected over the winter but now gets him back as a minor leaguer.

The Nats hoped Reifert’s swing-and-miss stuff – he struck out 14.9 batters per nine innings in four seasons in the Rays system – would translate to the big league level and make him a worthy choice for the Opening Day bullpen. But the right-hander struggled mightily with command from the start of spring training, walking 12 batters in only 6 1/3 innings, and never found it.

“His stuff is really good,” manager Davey Martinez said. “He just wasn’t able to find the zone consistently. We were hoping other things might have happened. Tampa took him back.”

The Nationals initially paid $100,000 to selected Reifert away from the Rays in December’s Rule 5 Draft. They’ll now get $50,000 back after letting him go. Had Tampa Bay turned him down, the 28 other clubs would have had a chance to claim him off waivers but inherit his Rule 5 status and thus keep him on their major league roster the entire season.

This will be the first time since 2022 the Nats enter a season without a Rule 5 pick. They managed to keep right-hander Thaddeus Ward for the entire 2023 season, then infielder Nasim Nuñez last year. Neither performed especially well in limited game action, with Ward now in the Orioles organization after he struggled at Triple-A Rochester in 2024. Nuñez is still in big league camp here with a chance to make the Opening Day roster thanks to his .464 batting average and elite defensive play this spring.

The Nationals viewed Reifert as a potential long-term part of their bullpen. The 25-year-old enjoyed a breakthrough 2024 season at Double-A Montgomery, with a 1.96 ERA, 0.919 WHIP and 65 strikeouts in 41 1/3 innings. And when the Rays left him unprotected, they swooped in and selected him in the Rule 5 Draft.

As the spring played out, though, it became clear Reifert wasn’t deserving of a roster spot over fellow bullpen candidates Orlando Ribalta, Eduardo Salazar, Brad Lord and Jackson Rutledge.

“He’s such a good kid,” Martinez said. “He’s got good stuff. I’m going to call him here later on just to talk to him. Because if he is ever able to find the strike zone, he’s valuable. I wish him all the best. It just didn’t work out here.”

With Reifert headed back to Tampa Bay, the Nationals’ 40-man roster now has a vacancy, which could be used to add a non-roster invitee this spring to the Opening Day roster. Veteran left-hander Colin Poche, who previously pitched for the Rays, is a likely choice to take that spot when camp breaks Sunday.

* DJ Herz threw 85 pitches over five innings in a simulated game this afternoon, showing signs of progress after a stretch of rough starts in Grapefruit League play.

Herz had a 6.52 ERA and 1.966 WHIP over 9 2/3 innings this spring, issuing nine walks while striking out only four batters. He also saw a decrease in his fastball velocity, though that ticked back up to 92 mph today, according to Martinez.

“He threw the ball better,” Martinez said. “The strikes were more competitive. The balls were even more competitive. His changeup had good shape. He was up at 92 with some pitches, which is better. All in all, he was a lot better today.”

It remains to be seen whether Herz will get to start another exhibition game this spring, or if he’s in danger of being optioned to Triple-A Rochester. Mitchell Parker appears the most likely choice for the Nats’ No. 5 starter to begin the season, with Shinnosuke Ogasawara getting one last shot to make his case Thursday night against the Mets.

* Patrick Corbin has finally found a new home. The veteran left-hander signed a one-year, $1 million deal today with the Rangers, who have a need in their rotation after injuries to several other starters.

Corbin had been waiting at his home in West Palm Beach, working out on his own and hoping for a call from a major league club with a guaranteed offer. He finally got one, though for a fraction of the salary he used to make here.

The Nationals signed Corbin to a six-year, $140 million contract prior to the 2019 season. He was outstanding that year, going 14-7 with a 3.25 ERA and then winning Game 7 of the World Series in relief. But he was never the same pitcher after that, spending the next five seasons making every one of his starts but rarely finding the winning form he displayed in 2019.

Over his full six years with the Nats, Corbin went 47-77 with a 5.11 ERA and 1.460 WHIP, making 170 starts.