Cade Cavalli missed nearly three years because of a series of injuries. He hasn’t just dominated in his first full season in the Major Leagues -- he signed a four-year contract extension with the Nationals on Friday.
The deal begins in 2027 and runs through the 2030 season with a club option for 2031. It guarantees Cavalli $47 million, and it could be worth up to $70 million if the team exercises its option, per a source. Cavalli, a 2020 first-round Draft pick by the Nationals, had been under team control with the Nats until 2030.
“It’s a super exciting day for Cade and Maddie and the whole Nats organization,” Toboni said on a Zoom call with local reporters. “We want to take chances on players that are not only great performers, but who fit the culture that we're trying to create here. And Cade is exactly that person. He fits that to a T.”
This is president of baseball operations Paul Toboni’s first contract extension since being hired by the Nationals last offseason. The talks began four or five weeks ago, Toboni estimates.
“We always had this belief in Cade the player and the person,” Toboni said. “But even when we named him the Opening Day starter at Wrigley [Field], he had 53 career innings. So we still wanted to see him go out there and really grow into this guy that we thought he could become. It was almost like the water boiled over time.
“[There also were] these series of interactions in the clubhouse every week that just make you really believe in the person. And then, you all have seen it: He's been one of the most consistent pitchers over the course of the last couple months, and I thought he really turned the corner.”
The contract extension exemplifies resilience and determination. Cavalli was shut down for the remainder of the season after debuting on Aug. 26, 2022. He was on track to earn a spot in the 2023 starting rotation when he suffered a Grade 3 UCL sprain during Spring Training. During his rehab from Tommy John surgery, Cavalli experienced a series of setbacks. He did not return to the Majors until Aug. 6, 2025.
“It's like every challenge that we put in front of Cade, he really takes the bull by the horns and gets after it,” Toboni said. “It feels like he just knocks out the goal and goes to the next one.”
Cavalli is 12-5 with a 3.12 ERA in 164 2/3 innings across 31 starts this season, including 7-1 with a 2.05 ERA since the All-Star break. His 194 strikeouts rank fourth among NL pitchers. He also ranks eighth in strikeout-to-walk rate (4.04), ninth in WHIP (1.17) and 10th in opponents’ batting average (.233). Looking further at his Statcast numbers, Cavalli ranks in the 99th percentile in breaking ball run value (14).
Entering Friday, Cavalli has held his opponents to three earned runs or fewer in 29 of his 31 starts. That ranks first among all pitchers, ahead of the Yankees’ Cam Schlittler (28), Brewers’ Jacob Misiorowski (27) and Guardians’ Parker Messick (27).
“We are thrilled that Cade and his family will remain part of the Washington Nationals for years to come,” Managing Principal Owner Mark D. Lerner said in a statement. “Since we drafted Cade in 2020, we’ve been continually impressed with who he is as a baseball player and as a human being. He’s shown that he not only has the talent to excel as a Major Leaguer, but he also possesses the high character and leadership qualities that make him a beloved member of our clubhouse and in the community.”
The Nationals have not signed a player to a contract extension since catcher Keibert Ruiz signed an eight-year, $50 million deal during Spring Training 2023.
When it comes to adding pitchers to their rotation, the Nationals have signed shorter-term deals in recent years and promoted from within their farm system. The last starting pitcher to sign a deal beyond three years was Stephen Strasburg, who signed a then-record-breaking seven-year, $175 million contract following the 2019 World Series. Toboni hopes this is an example for other players in the Nationals Minor League system.
“We want homegrown players to know that if they come here and carry themselves the right way, go about their work the right way, go out and perform, are great teammates, great leaders, that there's a pathway to be here for the long term -- assuming there's interest on both sides,” Toboni said.
“Cade’s an example of that. Hopefully, this sends a message not just to our Major League group, but to players throughout the whole organization: This is something that's on our minds and will continue to be on our minds going forward.”
Cavalli has been the most consistent arm in the starting rotation this season, and they believe he can continue to deliver at this level or higher for years to come.
“From a performance standpoint, I wouldn't put any sort of ceiling on what Cade can achieve,” Toboni said. “He has a ceiling that is as high as anyone in the big leagues. The consistency to which he’s performed lately, I think also speaks to his upside.
"But the other thing I think a lot about is his potential as a leader. … I think he's got a chance to even grow there, which is saying something because he's already a great leader.”