Nats sign righty reliever Kranick, cut ties with '19 first-rounder Rutledge

WASHINGTON – The Nationals are addressing a heavily-worked bullpen that has thrown the most innings in baseball.

The Nats signed right-hander Max Kranick to a one-year Major League deal on Tuesday, with a club option for the 2027 season. Kranick is recovering from right elbow surgery and was placed on the 15-day injured list.

“He’s had success,” manager Blake Butera said of Kranick. “He’s been a good pitcher in this league. I’m just excited to get him here. Obviously, he’s still injured and on the IL of course, but I’ve heard nothing but good things. I’m excited to add another arm to the org.”

The team announced the contract during its 11-3 loss to the Twins on Tuesday, in which the ‘pen covered five innings following starter Cade Cavalli. In a corresponding move, the Nationals designated 2019 17th overall pick Jackson Rutledge for assignment.

Butera does not anticipate Kranick being cleared to play for at least another month. Still, the availability of a reliever with Major League experience and potential when healthy was enticing -- and worth the wait on the IL -- to the Nats.

“We want to build a winner over time that is going to be good for a long time,” said Butera. “And that might mean finding some players that maybe aren't able to pitch right now, but we see working into our plans in the future, especially if we get our training staff's hands on these guys. We have, I think, one of the best training staffs in the game in terms of rehab and building pitchers back up.

“We feel like once we get them in our organization, we can get them back to being the pitcher they were, whenever that timeline works out. But also sometimes, we're able to acquire these pitchers because of things like that, where he's not ready to pitch right this second, that we want to take advantage of.”

Kranick, 28, was an 11th-round Draft pick by the Pirates out of high school in 2016. He reached the Majors with Pittsburgh in 2021, and he appeared in 11 games (nine starts) from ‘21-22. The Pirates designated Kranick for assignment in January 2024. He was claimed off waivers by the Mets shortly thereafter.

Kranick made 24 relief appearances for New York last season, going 3-2 with a 3.65 ERA in 37 innings. But he dealt with a right elbow strain and did not pitch after June 15. He avoided Tommy John surgery and underwent a less serious right flexor tendon operation.

Out of Minor League options and expected not to start the 2026 season on time, Kranick was non-tendered by the Mets in November.

Kranick has a Major League career ERA of 3.21 with 29 strikeouts to eight walks in 42 innings as a reliever. He has thrown a pitch mix of four-seamers (40.5%), sliders (39.9%), curveballs (11.9%) and sweepers (7.8%).

“I think you look at the track record of what they've done previously,” Butera said. “Obviously, the pitch qualities, the body and then getting able to see him recently, where he's at along his progression and what that's been looking like and is he looking like he was before? Obviously, you don't get the full picture because he's not throwing 100% bullpens right now. But just going off of what he's done already and what we can get back to, that's a big piece of it.”

The Nationals have made a handful of bullpen roster moves in the last week.

Rutledge was one of the longest-tenured members of the Nationals organization. He debuted on Sept. 13, 2023, as a starting pitcher before moving to the bullpen. In 71 Major League games (five starts), Rutledge went 5-3 with a 6.29 ERA in 103 innings.

Following Tuesday’s game, right-hander Andre Granillo was optioned to Triple-A Rochester. He allowed four runs in two innings to the Twins that night. A corresponding move was not announced.

On Saturday, right-hander Orlando Ribalta was called up from Triple-A, while veteran lefty reliever Cionel Pérez cleared outright waivers and was assigned to Rochester. As a player with at least five years of Major League service, Pérez declared free agency in lieu of accepting his outright assignment on Monday.

Nationals relievers have thrown a league-leading 169 2/3 innings through 36 games, ahead of the Rockies (166) and White Sox (158 2/3).

“They’ve been great,” Cavalli said of the bullpen. “As a starting staff, we feel like it’s our job to go deep. And whenever we don’t, we feel really bad. But they haven’t complained, they’ve taken it on, and we respect them and what they do.”