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Washington Nationals get mix of good, bad news on waiver wire
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- Washington Nationals get mix of good, bad news on waiver wire
The waiver wire was a frequent stop for the Washington Nationals through January after the front office navigated through January with seven official claims, though a pair were designated for assignment just days after joining the organization. It marked a sneaky way for president of baseball operations Paul Toboni to restock his Triple-A roster while tweaking the minor league roster, but the pair of designations marked a risky move in the process with a chance for other teams to swoop in.
That came to reality for a pair of former waiver claims on Wednesday with a mix of good and bad news on a pair of players.
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The good news is that left handed pitcher Konnor Pilkington reportedly cleared waivers on Wednesday, setting the stage for the Nationals to designate him for assignment in Triple-A. Pilkington was designated for assignment last week to make room for shortstop Tsung-Che Chung , who spent the bulk of last season with Pittsburgh 's Triple-A affiliate.
UPDATE: the Nationals announced on Thursday morning that Pilkington has cleared waivers and due to receiving a prior outright assignment, declared free agency instead of accepting the assignment.
After making his debut with the Nationals in July of 2025, Pilkington posted a 4.45 ERA last season with the Nationals over 28.1 innings pitched after he was initially drafted in the third round of the 2018 MLB draft by the Chicago White Sox . The pitcher has also spent time within the Cleveland Guardians and Arizona Diamondbacks organizations. Despite an average ERA during his major league tenure, command appeared to be a challenge for the southpaw. Pilkington allowed 17 walks during his 28.1 innings pitched, compared to 34 strikeouts.
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Pilkington began his career with the Cleveland Guardians in 2022 where he started in 11 games and appeared in 15, finishing the season with a 3.88 ERA and 50 strikeouts to 32 walks. He then made one appearance in 2023 where he tossed a pair of strikeouts in a pair of scoreless inning, though struggled in his limited time in Triple-A. He was traded to Arizona for cash considerations in May of 2023 where he would spend the rest of the season and 2024 with Triple-A Reno.
The bad news on Wednesday was that Mickey Gasper , who was designed for assignment last week after the team claimed left hander Richard Lovelady , was claimed by the Boston Red Sox . Washington claimed Gasper from the Minnesota Twins in a flurry of moves through January, but now eliminating one potential option in the Nationals' farm system.
Gasper now returns to the organization to gave him his MLB debut after Boston selected Gasper in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 Draft in 2023, making his debut as a pinch hitter in 2024 where he drew four walks and was hit by a pitch despite finishing 0-for-18 in his at-bats with the Red Sox. Gasper spent the 2025 season with the Minnesota Twins where he batted .158/.257/.232 with a pair of home runs, 11 RBIs and two stolen bases in 45 appearances. The Twins then designated him for assignment in mid-January, the first of what has proven to be a flurry of moves for the utility infielder.
