The Washington Nationals parted ways with relief pitcher Hunter Strickland on Saturday.
Strickland, 31, was known around Washington for plunking and brawling with then-Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper in 2017. He had signed a deal worth $1.6 million with the Nationals in 2019, but with his release will now be prorated to roughly a quarter of his salary.
The reliever did not appear in any of the team’s postseason games.
Along with Strickland, fellow pitcher David Hernandez was also let go.
The Nationals also assigned outfielder Brandon Snyder to minor league camp. Snyder is a native of Centreville, Virginia, where he went to Westfield High School.
Washington also optioned Jake Noll, Ben Braymer, Aaron Barrett and Kyle McGowin to Triple-A Fresno, while assigning Jacob Wilson, Taylor Gushue, JB Shuck, Dakota Bacus, Bryan Bonnell and Wil Crowe to minor-league camp.
Barrett, who made his emotional return last September after missing four seasons due to various arm injuries, also announced this weekend that he and his wife are expecting the couple’s second child, a son, due in September.
MLB announced last Thursday that the season will be delayed at least two weeks from its scheduled start of March 26 due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Teams are speculating the season might not start until sometime in May, since some states in which teams play may have deeper restrictions on public gatherings. That would necessitate a reduced schedule.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
