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The Nationals have acquired reliever Andre Granillo, who could factor into the closer mix.
The Washington Nationals have acquired reliever Andre Granillo in a swap with the St. Louis Cardinals. Recent waiver claim George Soriano heads back the other way in the deal. Granillo put together a dominant 2025 campaign in Triple-A. His first taste of big-league action didn’t go as well, but he did notch his first MLB save during his stint with the Cardinals.
Nationals have acquired RHP Andre Granillo from the Cardinals for RHP George Soriano (who was DFA’d last week, shortly after getting claimed off waivers). Granillo, 25, pitched in 14 games for STL last year, with a 4.71 ERA. Had a 1.21 ERA in 29 games at AAA Memphis in 2024.
Granillo was a 14th-round draft pick in 2021 out of the University of California, Riverside. He hit the ground running at Single-A, posting a 1.50 ERA across 18 innings. The right-hander jumped a couple of levels the following season, reaching Double-A by the end of 2022. He finished the campaign with a 4.13 ERA across 52.1 innings, largely due to a few bad outings with Springfield.
The move to Triple-A was initially a challenge for Granillo. The reliever posted an ERA over 6.00 in his first stop in 2023. He made it back there in 2024 after opening the year with Springfield, but delivered a 4.82 ERA in 34 games. His xFIP was above 5.00, suggesting he had earned the poor results. Granillo finally conquered Triple-A in 2025. He came through with a superb 1.29 ERA in 29 appearances with Memphis. The strong effort led to his first big-league callup.
Andre Granillo Enters Uncertain Closer Situation
The Nationals have leaned on Kyle Finnegan in the 9th inning for the better part of the decade. After hanging out on the open market deep into the offseason, he returned to the team on a one-year deal ahead of 2025. After years of rumors, Finnegan finally departed via trade at the deadline. The Detroit Tigers added him to their imposing bullpen for the stretch run.
The Finnegan trade opened the door for Jose Ferrer to take the reins. The hard-throwing lefty racked up 11 saves over the final two months of the year. Then, it was Ferrer’s turn to leave. He went to the Seattle Mariners in a swap that netted the Nats catching prospect Harry Ford. With Ferrer now gone, the closer role is up for grabs.
Right-hander Clayton Beeter seems like the favorite for the job, though his grasp on the role would be tenuous given his control problems. Beeter picked up five holds in his final seven games last season. He also chipped in a save as the clear No. 2 behind Ferrer. The former New York Yankees prospect has compiled a 31.9% strikeout rate in his two seasons as a big leaguer, but it’s come with a ghastly 16% walk rate.
Former top prospect Cole Henry transitioned to a bullpen role last season. He recorded a pair of saves while finishing second on the team with 10 holds in 2025. Henry has the upper-tier velocity to be a closer, but he also struggled with walks last year (13.3% BB%).
Minor League Experience Could Be the Difference
Unlike Beeter and Henry, who are both converted starters, Granillo has plenty of reps finishing games. The righty has 31 saves in his minor league career, including 14 at Double-A in 2023. He picked up two saves with Memphis last season, then added one with the Cardinals.
In just his fourth MLB appearance, Granillo was tasked with holding onto a two-run lead in the bottom of the 10th inning against the Chicago White Sox. He tossed a scoreless inning, striking out Austin Slater swinging to end it.
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