Report: Nationals Tried To Negotiate With Kyle Finnegan Before Non-Tender
One of the more surprising moves of the MLB offseason has been the Washington Nationals moving on from their closer, Kyle Finnegan.
In a shocking turn of events, the two sides parted ways ahead of the non-tender deadline, as the team made him a free agent instantly. Any franchise looking for an experienced reliever with late-game experience had to be happy seeing that move be made.
However, it wasn’t one that the Nationals made without exhausting all options beforehand.
As reported by Andrew Golden of the Washington Post, Washington did have discussions with their closer about working out a new contract prior to the non-tender deadline. Finnegan was heading into his final year of arbitration and was projected to make $8.6 million, as shared by Matt Swartz of MLB Trade Rumors.
Evidently, that was too rich for the team’s blood and they looked to negotiate a contract at a lower number. However, nothing came from those talks, per Golden, because, “the sides were not close to making a deal to avoid arbitration.”
As a result, the free agent market has another strong option for franchises to consider to bolster the back end of their bullpen.
Finnegan has saved at least 11 games in four consecutive years, including a career-high 38 this past season. He was named an All-Star for the first time, joining teammate CJ Abrams as representatives for the National League.
For relievers heading into arbitration, counting stats, such as saves, could have a major impact on how much money they earn. With 66 over the last two seasons, he put himself in position for a nice raise.
That could very well outweigh some of the shakier numbers of Finnegan’s stat line, as he had the lowest ERA+ of his career and highest hard hit percentage allowed. He also gave up the most fly balls of his career, which is a recipe for disaster in some situations.
Maybe Washington saw the writing on the wall and didn’t want to commit to the kind of money he was projected to earn but was interested in keeping him at a lower amount. Alas, it didn’t work out, as there is another hole to now fill on the roster.
Hopefully, the front office has a plan to replace him because money isn’t an issue for the franchise. Finnegan was the only player projected to be on the roster with a salary over $5 million for the 2025 campaign before being non-tendered.
