Though most of the moves they’ve made to date haven’t warranted major headlines, the Nationals have made a good number of moves since season’s end 3 1/2 months ago.

Twelve players who ended the 2025 season on the club’s 40-man roster no longer reside there: Jorge Alfaro, Josh Bell, Zach Brzykcy, Paul DeJong, Jose A. Ferrer, Sauryn Lao, Trey Lipscomb, Ryan Loutos, Shinnosuke Ogasawara, Eduardo Salazar, CJ Stubbs, Mason Thompson.

Which means 12 new players have since been added to the 40-man roster: Riley Cornelio, Harry Ford, Christian Franklin, Foster Griffin, Griff McGarry, Luis Perales, Paxton Schultz and Joey Wiemer, plus four guys who were reinstated from the 60-day injured list (Josiah Gray, DJ Herz, Drew Millas, Trevor Williams).

That’s a healthy amount of turnover for an organization, though probably not unexpected considering the turnover that’s also occurred in the front office and coaching staff.

But it can be hard to keep up with all the transactions. So let’s take a moment this morning to run through the entire 40-man roster as currently constructed, understanding there can and will be more changes to come before pitchers and catchers report to West Palm Beach in a mere four weeks.

We’ll go through the main position groups …

CATCHERS (4)
Riley Adams, Harry Ford, Drew Millas, Keibert Ruiz
Comment: Perhaps the most interesting development wasn’t just the December acquisition of Ford but the retention of the three other catchers already on the 40-man roster. If Ford makes the Opening Day roster, and if Ruiz is healthy, there’s no room for Adams (who is out of options and agreed to a $1 million contract) or Millas (who does still have one more option year).

INFIELDERS (6)
CJ Abrams, Andres Chaparro, Luis Garcia Jr., Brady House, Nasim Nunez, Jose Tena
Comment: As has been noted several times this winter, there’s no real first baseman on the roster. Unless they want to move Garcia over from second base and/or put minor league signees Matt Mervis or Warming Bernabel in the lineup, the Nationals still need to acquire someone to fill that gaping hole. Is the new front office fully committed to Brady House at third base? They haven’t acquired anyone else yet to push him, so it appears they are. Nunez seems like a good bet to make the club at least as a backup, potentially pushing for more regular playing time. Chaparro (who has two options) and Tena (who has none) could be in danger of being dropped if the team acquires anyone and needs to clear 40-man roster space.

OUTFIELDERS (7)
Dylan Crews, Christian Franklin, Robert Hassell III, Daylen Lile, Joey Wiemer, James Wood, Jacob Young
Comment: There’s real depth here, more so than at any other position. Wood, Crews and Lile are all going to be regulars, with Young’s defense in center field still highly valuable. Hassell got a taste of the majors last season. Franklin (acquired from the Cubs in the Michael Soroka trade) has promise. And then the club recently claimed Wiemer off waivers, bringing in another speedy, strong defensive outfielder with some MLB experience. At most, there’s room for five of these seven on the Opening Day roster.

STARTING PITCHERS (15)
Andrew Alvarez, Cade Cavalli, Riley Cornelio, Jake Eder, MacKenzie Gore, Josiah Gray, Foster Griffin, DJ Herz, Jake Irvin, Andry Lara, Brad Lord, Griff McGarry, Mitchell Parker, Luis Perales, Trevor Williams
Comment: There are no shortage of rotation candidates from this large group, but almost everyone has some kind of significant question mark attached to his name. Gore is the safest bet to lead the staff, but that’s assuming he’s not traded (which he still could be). Cavalli has tremendous promise but needs to prove he can stay healthy and be effective. Griffin is the team’s most notable free agent signing so far but is a huge unknown after pitching the last three years in Japan. Irvin is coming off a hugely disappointing 2025 season. Gray is hopefully ready to return at last after missing nearly two full seasons. Herz and Williams probably won’t be ready for Opening Day but could be back not too long after. Lord and Parker could be starters or could be relievers. Same for McGarry, who as a Rule 5 draftee has to make (and remain on) the major league roster or else be offered back to the Phillies. Perales (acquired from the Red Sox for Jake Bennett) has a huge arm but is really inexperienced. Alvarez, Cornelio, Eder and Lara figure to serve as Triple-A depth, waiting for an opening (though Lara in particular could be in danger of losing his 40-man spot if space is needed).

RELIEF PITCHERS (8)
Clayton Beeter, Julian Fernandez, Cole Henry, Konnor Pilkington, PJ Poulin, Orlando Ribalta, Jackson Rutledge, Paxton Schultz
Comment: A major league bullpen typically features eight pitchers. The Nationals currently have only eight true relievers on their 40-man roster. Does that mean everyone on this list is going to make the Opening Day roster? Don’t bet on it. The front office knows it needs to add more viable arms to the mix, especially experienced arms given how inexperienced the current group is. Would the Nats spend money on someone with actual closing experience, or are they willing to trust the ninth inning to Henry or Beeter? Do they need a more proven left-hander, or are Pilkington and Poulin enough? If they do need to clear 40-man spots, the trio of Fernandez, Ribalta and Rutledge would seemingly be the most likely candidates.