The Nationals are in agreement with lefty reliever Zach Penrod on a minor league contract, reports Will Sammon of The Athletic. The Dynamic Sports Group client would be paid an $800K rate, marginally above the minimum, if he makes the MLB roster. Penrod is a former Red Sox farmhand who made seven appearances for Boston in 2024. Nationals president of baseball operations Paul Toboni was an assistant general manager for the Sox at the time.
Montes de Oca was drafted by the Mets in 2018, and a few years ago, he had the potential to be an elite Major League reliever. In AAA with the Mets in 2022, Montes de Oca posted a 3.44 ERA and struck out a whopping 56 batters in just 34 innings. The big right showcased that he had elite stuff that could get swings and misses from batters. However, Montes de Oca has had Tommy John surgery two times in the past three years.
So for today - what do you expect back for CJ Abrams. They don't HAVE to trade CJ but it seems EXTREMELY unlikely that they will be competitive in the time before he becomes a FA. Are they going to be good enough to convince him to stay? Do you take that chance instead of selling him on a decently high note with a couple years of control left? The way I read the Nats management the answer is no.
