Washington Nationals No Longer Have Anyone Left From 2019 World Series Team

In case the Washington Nationals’ 2019 World Series championship didn’t feel distant enough already, the final holdover from that year’s team has finally walked out the door.

The Nationals non-tendered right-handed relief pitcher Tanner Rainey on Friday night, sending him into free agency instead of going through one last round of arbitration this winter. It marked the end of Rainey’s six-year stint in Washington, one which started with a championship and ended with five consecutive losing seasons.

Rainey joined the Nationals via a trade with the Cincinnati Reds in December 2018, one that cost Washington longtime starting pitcher Tanner Roark. The righty strung together a solid rookie campaign, going 2-3 with a 3.91 ERA, 1.448 WHIP, 13.8 strikeouts per nine innings and 0.5 WAR before making nine appearances that postseason.

After going 1-1 with a 2.66 ERA, 0.758 WHIP, 14.2 strikeouts per nine innings and 1.0 WAR in 2020, Rainey saw his ERA explode to 7.39 in 2021 as his WAR dipped to -1.1. And while he seemed to recover by posting a 3.30 ERA and 0.3 WAR to open 2022, he got Tommy John surgery and was out until the final weekend of 2023.

The 31-year-old returned to full health in 2024, only to put up a 4.76 ERA and 0.1 WAR across his 50 appearances. For his career, Rainey is 5-10 with a 5.23 ERA, 1.483 WHIP, 11.2 strikeouts per nine innings and a -0.1 WAR.

That production, along with a projected price tag of $1.9 million, led the Nationals not to welcome Rainey back for 2025.

As noted by the Washington Post’s Spencer Nusbaum, however, two last vestiges technically remain. Reliever Sean Doolittle rejoined the team as a pitching strategist in January, while outfielder Gerardo Parra just completed his first season as the club’s first base coach.

When it comes to active players, though, the legacy of the 2019 title squad has run its course.

The Nationals also non-tendered All-Star closer Kyle Finnegan on Friday. As a result, infielder Luis García Jr. is now the longest-tenured player on Washington’s roster.

García is still just 24 years old, having made his MLB debut on Aug. 14, 2020.

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