Nationals DFA Former Top-100 Prospect Pitcher

March 23, 2026 , ,
Washington Nationals pitcher Griff McGarry pitches in 2025 spring training.

The Washington Nationals designated right-hander Griff McGarry for assignment to clear 40-man space for newly acquired infielder Jorbit Vivas. 

The Vivas trade with the New York Yankees was the headline move, but McGarry being pushed off the roster is the part that could linger a bit longer, especially given the raw talent that once made him one of the more intriguing arms in the Philadelphia Phillies’ system.

Nationals DFA Griff McGarry after Rule 5 gamble

McGarry, 26, came to Washington as a Rule 5 pick in December, and there was real reason to believe he might stick. 

At one point, he drew top-100 prospect attention thanks to electric stuff and serious swing-and-miss ability. 

Even last season, despite ongoing command trouble, he punched out 35.1 percent of hitters across 21 starts and posted a 3.44 ERA. 

That kind of strikeout rate will always get a front office thinking it can fix the rest later. But with McGarry, the rest never really settled down. 

He walked 13.9 percent of hitters in 2025, and during a rough 2024 bullpen experiment, that number exploded to 24.0 percent. 

This spring, the same problem followed him again. He logged a 3.18 ERA in 5.2 innings, but five walks against six strikeouts told the real story. 

Griff McGarry still has upside despite command issues

Washington is trying to sort out a roster before Opening Day, and carrying a Rule 5 pitcher with that kind of volatility is a lot harder when there are other arms available who offer flexibility and do not come with restrictions. 

With Vivas needing a 40-man spot after arriving from the Yankees, McGarry became the odd man out. 

Now, another team can claim him under Rule 5 rules, and if that does not happen, he has to be offered back to the Phillies for $50,000.

The hard part for Washington is that McGarry’s arm talent is still very real. Reports out of camp continued to rave about the quality of his fastball and breaking stuff, and when he’s around the zone, he can look unhittable for stretches. 

There’s still a chance the Phillies happily take him back and keep trying to unlock what once looked like frontline upside.

Photo Credit: Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images

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