Nats agree to terms with five players on minor league deals

The Washington Nationals have agreed to terms with left-handed pitchers Fernando Abad, Bill Bray and Brandon Mann, right-handed pitcher Ross Ohlendorf and infielder Will Rhymes on minor-league contracts with invitations to Major League Spring Training. In addition, the Nationals extended Spring Training invites to left-handed pitcher Pat McCoy, right-handed pitcher Tanner Roark, catcher Carlos Maldonado, first baseman/third baseman Matt Skole and infielder Zach Walters. Nationals Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcements. Pitchers and catchers are slated report to the Nationals' Spring Training facility in Viera, Fla., by Tuesday, Feb. 12. Washington's position players will report by Feb. 15, and the first full-squad workout is scheduled for Feb. 17. Abad went 1-5 with 16 holds and a 4.62 ERA in 82 relief appearances the last three seasons (2010-12) with Houston. The 27-year-old posted three holds and a 3.80 ERA in 31 relief outings with the Astros in 2012. Bray returns to the organization that selected him in the first round (13th overall) of the '04 First-Year Player Draft. He is 13-12 with 38 holds, three saves and a 3.74 ERA in 258 career relief appearances with Cincinnati (2006-08, '10-12) and Washington (2006). The 29-year-old registered one hold and a 5.19 ERA in 14 relief appearances last season with the Reds. Pitching for Yokohama in Japan's Central League, Mann went 3-9 with one hold and a 4.27 ERA in 28 games/17 starts the last two seasons (2011-12). The 28-year-old went 3-0 with one save and a 4.88 ERA in 37 relief appearances with Inland Empire of the Single-A California League during his last domestic season in 2010. Ohlendorf is 18-32 with a 5.10 ERA in 108 games/73 starts in six big league seasons with the Padres (2012), Pirates ('08-11) and Yankees (2007-08). The 30-year-old won 11 games for Pittsburgh in 2009. He finished 4-4 in 13 games/six starts for San Diego in 2012. Rhymes, 29, is a career .266 hitter with a .328 on-base percentage, 17 doubles, four triples, two home runs and 29 RBI in 130 MLB contests with Detroit (2010-12) and Tampa Bay ('13). A resident of Alexandria, Va., Rhymes posted a .299 on-base percentage and eight RBI in 47 games last season with the Rays.