Washington Nationals Release 10-Year Veteran Closer

10-year veteran pitcher Alex Colomé was granted his release by the Washington Nationals after failing to make their season-opening roster.

This marked the second offseason in a row that Colome signed with a struggling team, hoping to have a chance to close out games.

One more note from Rochester’s roster yesterday: Alex Colomé wasn’t on it. He was granted his release, per source, and is now a free agent.

He had a 5.59 ERA in 10 appearances this spring. https://t.co/XNvJ9jgl9p

— Andrew Golden (@andrewcgolden) April 1, 2023

Despite having 159 career saves, the 34-year-old pitcher's performance has been declining in recent years. Last year, he saved only four games for the Colorado Rockies and finished with a 5.74 ERA.

This year, his performance was even worse, resulting in his failure to secure a roster spot. Although Colome signed a minor league contract with the Nationals in January, he has decided to move on and seek other opportunities.

It is likely that he will need to pitch at the Triple-A level for a while before earning another chance in the majors.

Over his 10-year career, Colome has compiled a 3.34 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, with 475 strikeouts across 536 innings and 446 appearances.

He's had stints with the Tampa Bay Rays (6 years), Chicago White Sox (2 years), Minnesota Twins (1 year), Colorado Rockies (1 year), and the Seattle Mariners (1 year). Photo Credit:  Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports