The Washington Nationals have signed right-handed reliever Drew Smith to a minor league contract, according to a report from Michelle Margaux on X.
She adds that the 32-year-old will earn $1.75 million if he makes the team, and the contract includes $1.25 million in performance bonuses.
Per our @mmargaux8, the Nationals are signing Drew Smith to a minor league deal.
Smith made 191 appearances with the Mets from 2018-2024 and missed all of last season as he recovered from Tommy John Surgery. pic.twitter.com/y0gadYiZZF
— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) February 16, 2026
“Nationals have Grayson Crawford as their director of pitching,” Margaux wrote on X Monday. “He was with the Mets organization the last few years.”
Smith missed the entire 2025 season rehabbing from Tommy John Surgery.
What Smith can provide the Nationals’ bullpen
Before Smith’s surgery, he was mostly a middle relief option with the Mets. He threw a career-high 56.1 innings in 2023 and had a 2.07 strikeout-to-walk ratio with 50 hits allowed.
The Nationals and first-year manager Blake Butera could find a similar role for Smith at the Major League level, or he could open the year at Triple-A. His average fastball velocity in 2024 was 94.7 mph.
Washington has multiple pitchers who could prove important in the middle innings of close games this season, including Clayton Beeter and Brad Lord.
