Washington Nationals Sign Two Free Agent Pitchers
Kranick, 28, underwent flexor tendon surgery in July of 2025 after posting a 3.65 ERA across 37 innings with the Mets, walking only five batters in that span while averaging 95.6 mph on his fastball.
The Mets chose not to tender him a contract after the surgery, a decision that now looks questionable given how badly their own pitching staff has eroded this season, and Kranick held a showcase for teams earlier this month where he sat 94 to 95 mph, right around his pre-injury velocity.
Right-hander Max Kranick and the Washington Nationals are in agreement on a deal, pending physical, league sources tell The Athletic.
— Will Sammon (@WillSammon) May 1, 2026
That showcase was apparently good enough for the Nationals to move quickly.
Washington's pitching staff has been one of the worst in baseball in 2026, sitting with a 5.11 team ERA that ranks 29th in the majors, with the rotation carrying most of the blame but the bullpen's 4.90 ERA ranking 23rd league-wide doing no favors either.
The Nationals also recently signed fellow righty Shawn Dubin, who was released by the Diamondbacks after struggling through two innings at Triple-A Reno following a stint on Arizona's development list.
Dubin, 30, has a 94 to 96 mph fastball and experience working as both a starter and reliever across parts of four big league seasons with the Astros, Orioles, and Diamondbacks, but command has been a persistent problem throughout his career.
What Washington Is Getting in Kranick
Kranick is not going to be ready to walk into the Nationals' bullpen immediately.
Less than ten months removed from flexor tendon surgery, he will need to work through a throwing progression and a minor league rehab stint before any big league assignment is realistic.
The target return window is the second half, which means the Nationals are essentially adding a second-half arm right now while paying minor league deal prices.
Max Kranick to sign with the Nationals, per @WillSammon.
— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) May 1, 2026
Kranick has never missed many bats, running a 16.9 percent strikeout rate in 2025 that sits well below the 22.3 percent league average, but his walk rate of 3.4 percent was outstanding.
In his best stretches with the Mets he functioned as both a one-inning and multi-inning option, recorded five holds before the injury, and showed the ability to handle high-leverage situations when called upon.
He also still has less than three years of service time, meaning Washington controls him affordably for multiple seasons beyond this one if he returns and produces.
Photo Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images
