The Washington Nationals fell to .500 after falling in extra innings on Wednesday afternoon, squandering a 5-2 lead in an eventual 6-5 loss against the Philadelphia Phillies. The front office also made a pair of roster moves, one ahead of opening pitch and another the day prior.

Days after electing to designate left handed pitcher Jake Eder for assignment, the Washington Nationals instead sent him away from the organization after the team announced an agreement to trade Eder to the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for cash considerations.

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Eder was initially designated for assignment after the Nationals acquired infielder Curtis Mead from the Chicago White Sox earlier this week, sending catcher Boston Smith away. Mead joined the organization after not making the 2026 Opening Day roster for the White Sox with his minor league options gone, giving the Nationals another option to upgrade the depth in the infield.

While Washington looks to see if that depth eventually turns into production, Eder now heads to the team set to face the Nationals next with a three-game series at Nationals Park beginning on Friday looming.

Eder arrived with the Nationals in a trade back on July 30, 2025 under interim manager Miguel Cairo where the then 26 year old pitcher went on to split his appearances between Double A and Triple A through the rest of the regular season.

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That would be the second of two moves after the Nationals also released infielder Matt Mervis from the organization earlier this week. Mervis, who also suited up for Team Israel before being quickly eliminated in the World Baseball Classic, was previously designated for assignment just days ago before being released by the Triple A Rochester staff on March 31, ending his short stint with the team. Mervis initially signed with the Nationals on a minor league deal back on Christmas Eve as the former Georgetown Prep product had a chance to make a dent, but instead, he’ll head back to the minor leagues where he’ll look to get back on track.

Through spring training, Mervis finished with just two hits across 12 at bats while also tallying five strikeouts across seven appearances in his first stint with the team.

Meanwhile, the Nationals will enjoy a rare off day on Thursday before shifting attention to the home opener on Friday against the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers. Opening pitch is set for 1:05 PM at Nationals Park.