News about a couple of former Nationals

Austin Voth’s career in Washington didn’t turn out the way he hoped it would. For a brief while, it looked like he might have figured something out in Baltimore, but things fizzled out there as well.

Now Voth will get a chance to resurrect his career in his hometown.

The Mariners signed the right-hander to a $1.25 million contract earlier this week, taking a chance on the 31-year-old right-hander who grew up outside Seattle and pitched for the University of Washington before the Nationals drafted him.

It’s not a bad deal for Voth, given his struggles and the way things played out for him the last few seasons with the Nats and Orioles.

Originally a fifth-round pick in the 2013 MLB Draft, Voth slowly worked his way up through the minors before debuting in 2018. His best year in D.C. came in 2019, when he posted a 3.30 ERA and 1.053 WHIP in nine games (eight starts). Things took a sharp turn downhill from there, though.

In a seemingly perpetual competition with Joe Ross and Erick Fedde for a spot at the back of the Nationals’ rotation, Voth made 11 starts during the abbreviated 2020 season but finished with a 6.34 ERA and 1.510 WHIP. The club decided to move him to the bullpen in 2021, but things didn’t go much better; in 49 games, he had a 5.34 ERA and 1.483 WHIP.

The end of the road came in 2022, when Voth was designated for assignment after a series of blowups that left him with a 10.13 ERA and 2.143 WHIP in 19 relief appearances, prompting the Nats to give up on him.

Baltimore claimed Voth off waivers, believing it could harness his stuff and get more out of him with a more analytical approach. For a while, it looked like that gamble would pay off; in 22 games (17 starts) with the Orioles in 2022, he had a 3.04 ERA and 1.229 WHIP. But Voth reverted back to his former self in 2023, finishing with a 5.19 ERA and 1.558 WHIP while missing two months with an elbow injury.

The Orioles designated Voth for assignment in early September, though he accepted an outright assignment to finish out the season at Triple-A Norfolk before becoming a free agent this winter.

Now the Mariners will see if they can get something more out of him, with plans to stretch him out as a starter in spring training and then back off if he’s ultimately needed in the bullpen to begin the season.

* Another former National is out of a job once again: Jeter Downs.

The Yankees designated Downs for assignment on Friday, bringing an abrupt end to the infielder’s time there only a month after he joined the organization.

New York had claimed Downs off waivers Dec. 19 after the Nationals designated him for assignment. The 25-year-old, once considered one of the sport’s top prospects, played in six games for Washington last season, going 2-for-5 with four walks and two stolen bases.

Downs has now been employed by five different organizations in slightly more than five years. Originally drafted by the Reds, he was traded (with Josiah Gray and Homer Bailey) to the Dodgers in December 2018 for Yasiel Puig, Matt Kemp, Alex Wood and Kyle Farmer. The Dodgers then used him as the centerpiece of their February 2020 blockbuster to acquire Mookie Betts and David Price from the Red Sox, sending Downs, Alex Verdugo and Connor Wong to Boston.

Downs never panned out with the Red Sox, so the Nationals took a chance on him last winter. The Yankees thought they would take a chance on him this winter, but now he’s right back to square one looking for a job.