WASHINGTON (AP) — First baseman Dominic Smith and right-hander Cory Abbott were designated for assignment by the Washington Nationals on Tuesday.
The club also requested unconditional release waivers for right-hander Andrés Machado. The Nationals said Machado plans to pitch in Japan.
The moves opened room on the 40-man roster, and Washington selected the contracts of four pitchers: right-handers Cole Henry and Zach Brzykcy, and left-handers DJ Herz and Mitchell Parker.
The Nationals also announced Tuesday that they agreed to one-year contracts with outfielder Victor Robles and righty reliever Tanner Rainey, avoiding salary arbitration.
Robles hit .299 with zero homers and eight RBIs in just 107 at-bats while missing most of 2023 with a back problem. Rainey threw just one inning last season, making a brief return in late September after having Tommy John reconstructive elbow surgery in 2022.
Smith hit .254 with a .326 on-base percentage and a .366 slugging percentage in 2023, with 12 homers and 46 RBIs for the Nationals, who went 71-91 for a fourth consecutive last-place finish in the NL East. He joined Washington on a one-year, $2 million contract as a free agent last offseason after playing for the New York Mets.
Abbott was 1-2 with a 6.64 ERA in 22 relief appearances in 2023, while Machado went 4-1 with a 5.22 ERA in 44 games out of the bullpen.
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