The 2021 Washington Nationals season was the Nationals' 17th season as the baseball franchise of Major League Baseball in the District of Columbia, the 14th season at Nationals Park, and the 53rd since the original team was started in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
After a disappointing start to the 2021 season, in which the team was under .500 at the July trade deadline, general manager Mike Rizzo disassembled much of the team, trading ace pitcher Max Scherzer and superstar shortstop Trea Turner to the Los Angeles Dodgers, among many other trades of starting players in exchange for prospects, signifying the start of a rebuilding process. The Nationals slumped to a record of wins and losses after the trade deadline, the worst 60-game closing stretch in club history, and finished 65–97, last in the National League East for the first time since the 2010 season. Sixty players appeared for the Nationals over the course of the season, a single-season record for the team. The Nationals also had a record in games in which their opponent scored first, as opposed to a record when scoring first. The Nationals also went in extra innings and went in games that ended in a walk-off for the winning team.
Offseason
Team news
With the eleventh overall selection, the Nationals were guaranteed their highest first-round draft pick since 2011 after finishing in a five-way tie for the seventh-worst record in MLB in 2020.
Coming off their first losing season since 2011, the Nationals overhauled their coaching staff. With the contracts of third base coach Chip Hale, hitting coach Kevin Long, and pitching coach Paul Menhart expiring after the 2020 season, the Nationals decided not to renew them, The Washington Post and other media outlets reported. The team announced the hiring of Jim Hickey, who worked with manager Dave Martinez during their time with the Tampa Bay Rays, as pitching coach on October 19, 2020. Despite previous media reports, the Nationals did sign Long to a new deal, also shifting first base coach Bob Henley back to third base and promoting Randy Knorr, manager of the Class-AAA Fresno Grizzlies, to the first base coaching job.
The Nationals also made major changes to their roster, designating 10 players—pitchers Aaron Barrett, James Bourque, Roenis Elías, Paolo Espino, Sam Freeman, Javy Guerra, and Austen Williams, catcher Raudy Read, infielder Adrián Sánchez, and outfielder Michael A. Taylor—off of the major league roster before announcing they would decline 2021 options for outfielder Adam Eaton, starting pitcher Aníbal Sánchez, and first basemen Howie Kendrick and Eric Thames, making them free agents. The Nationals also saw utility infielders Asdrúbal Cabrera and Brock Holt, relief pitcher Sean Doolittle, catcher Kurt Suzuki, and first baseman Ryan Zimmerman depart as unrestricted free agents. The team signed pending free agent infielder/outfielder Josh Harrison to a new one-year deal on October 22, 2020, before he reached free agency, and announced a new one-year deal with Zimmerman on January 23, 2021. Kendrick announced his retirement on December 21, 2020, after fifteen seasons in the major leagues.
Publicly, the Nationals were linked to possible deals for a number of players, including potential trade targets Kris Bryant, infielder/outfielder for the Chicago Cubs, and Eugenio Suárez, third baseman for the Cincinnati Reds; and free agents Álex Colomé, a right-handed reliever formerly with the Chicago White Sox (ultimately signed with the Minnesota Twins); DJ LeMahieu, an infielder formerly with the New York Yankees (ultimately re-signed with the Yankees); Yadier Molina, a catcher formerly with the St. Louis Cardinals (ultimately re-signed with the Cardinals); J. T. Realmuto, a catcher formerly with the Philadelphia Phillies (ultimately re-signed with the Phillies); Carlos Santana, a first baseman formerly with the Cleveland Indians (ultimately signed with the Kansas City Royals); and Justin Turner, a third baseman formerly with the Los Angeles Dodgers (ultimately re-signed with the Dodgers).
On November 18, 2020, the Nationals signed left-handed reliever Sam Clay, a minor league free agent out of the Minnesota Twins organization, to a major league contract. The Nationals also claimed a right-handed pitcher, Rogelio Armenteros, off waivers from the Arizona Diamondbacks on December 7. On December 24, the Nationals traded two pitching prospects, Wil Crowe and Eddy Yean, to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for first baseman Josh Bell. The Nationals further bolstered their lineup on January 9, 2021, by signing outfielder Kyle Schwarber to a one-year major league deal with a mutual option for the 2022 season, after Schwarber was non-tendered by the Cubs earlier in the offseason. On January 26, 2021, the Nationals announced a one-year pact with closer Brad Hand; the following day, they announced starter Jon Lester was joining the team on a one-year contract as well. Catcher Alex Avila was signed to another one-year deal announced February 3.
Washington avoided arbitration with starting pitcher Joe Ross, signing him to a $1.5 million contract for the 2021 season on December 1, 2020. The Nationals also reached one-year deals with their three other arbitration-eligible players, first baseman Josh Bell, outfielder Juan Soto, and shortstop Trea Turner, on the January 15, 2021, deadline to exchange salary figures.
With a reorganization underway of Minor League Baseball, the Nationals announced a new 10-year player development contract with the Rochester Red Wings in Rochester, New York, formerly Minnesota's Class-AAA affiliate, on November 19. The Nationals did not renew their two-year deal with Class-AAA Fresno and also discontinued their 14-year affiliation with the Class-A Hagerstown Suns in Hagerstown, Maryland, and their 10-year affiliation with the Class-A Short Season Auburn Doubledays in Auburn, New York, with short-season classification play being discontinued. The Wilmington Blue Rocks in Wilmington, Delaware, were named as the Nationals' new Class-A Advanced affiliate on December 9, 2020. The Fredericksburg Nationals will remain a Washington affiliate, shifting to the lower Class-A classification to take the Suns' place, while the Harrisburg Senators were invited to keep their Class-AA affiliation with the Nationals as well.
Transactions October 9, 2020: The Nationals outrighted right-handed pitchers Aaron Barrett, Paolo Espino, and Austen Williams and infielder Adrián Sánchez to the minor leagues; Barrett and Espino elected free agency. October 10, 2020: The Nationals outrighted left-handed pitcher Roenis Elías to the minor leagues; he elected free agency. October 12, 2020: The Nationals outrighted left-handed pitcher Sam Freeman and right-handed pitcher Javy Guerra to the minor leagues; they elected free agency. October 13, 2020: The Nationals outrighted right-handed pitcher James Bourque and catcher Raudy Read to the minor leagues. October 15, 2020: The Nationals outrighted outfielder Michael A. Taylor to the minor leagues; he elected free agency. October 19, 2020: The Nationals hired pitching coach Jim Hickey. October 22, 2020: The Nationals signed infielder/outfielder Josh Harrison to a one-year contract extension. October 23, 2020: The Nationals selected the contract of right-handed pitcher Steven Fuentes from the minor leagues. November 18, 2020: The Nationals signed left-handed pitcher Sam Clay to a major league contract. November 20, 2020: The Nationals selected the contracts of right-handed pitcher Joan Adon and infielder Yasel Antuna from the minor leagues. December 1, 2020: The Nationals re-signed right-handed pitcher Joe Ross to a one-year major league contract. December 7, 2020: The Nationals claimed right-handed pitcher Rogelio Armenteros off waivers from the Arizona Diamondbacks. December 24, 2020: The Nationals acquired first baseman Josh Bell from the Pittsburgh Pirates for right-handed pitcher Wil Crowe and minor league pitcher Eddy Yean. January 9, 2021: The Nationals signed outfielder Kyle Schwarber to a one-year major league contract. January 15, 2021: The Nationals re-signed first baseman Josh Bell, outfielder Juan Soto, and shortstop Trea Turner to one-year major league contracts. January 23, 2021: The Nationals signed first baseman Ryan Zimmerman to a one-year major league contract. January 26, 2021: The Nationals signed left-handed pitcher Brad Hand to a one-year major league contract. January 27, 2021: The Nationals signed left-handed pitcher Jon Lester to a one-year major league contract. February 3, 2021: The Nationals signed catcher Alex Avila to a one-year major league contract. March 27, 2021: The Nationals selected the contracts of infielders Hernán Pérez and Jordy Mercer from the minor leagues and designated infielder Jake Noll for assignment. March 28, 2021: The Nationals selected the contract of left-handed pitcher Luis Avilán and designated right-handed pitcher Dakota Bacus for assignment. April 3, 2021: The Nationals signed catcher Jonathan Lucroy to a minor league contract. April 6, 2021: The Nationals selected the contract of catcher Jonathan Lucroy from the minor leagues and added outfielder Cody Wilson to the active roster as a replacement player.
Spring training The Nationals held spring training at their facility at FITTEAM Ballpark of the Palm Beaches in West Palm Beach, Florida, which they share with the Houston Astros. It was their fifth year at the facility.
On the first day of camp, the Nationals announced they had invited 31 players on minor league contracts to major league spring training, including top pitching prospects Jackson Rutledge and Cade Cavalli. Other invitees included: pitchers Luis Avilán, Aaron Barrett, Bryan Bonnell, Tim Cate, Jacob Condra-Bogan, Matt Cronin, Tyler Dyson, Tyler Eppler, Paolo Espino, Javy Guerra, Cole Henry, Gabe Klobosits, T. J. McFarland, Todd Peterson, and Jefry Rodriguez; catchers Welington Castillo, Israel Pineda, Raudy Read, Jakson Reetz, and Blake Swihart; infielders Jackson Cluff, Drew Mendoza, Jordy Mercer, Hernán Pérez, Adrián Sanchez, and Brandon Snyder; and outfielders Gerardo Parra, Carlos Tocci, Yasmany Tomás, and Cody Wilson.
On February 22, five days after pitchers and catchers first reported to West Palm Beach, the Nationals signed another pitcher, Jeremy Jeffress, to a minor league deal with a spring training invitation. However, the Nationals released Jeffress over an unspecified "personnel matter" before he pitched in a game, on March 7.
Reliever Will Harris was shut down midway through camp after experiencing tingling and numbness in his right pitching hand. A doctor initially diagnosed him with a blood clot in his throwing arm, but a venogram later determined Harris did not have a blood clot or thoracic outlet syndrome. Starting pitcher Jon Lester was also briefly shut down early in camp, undergoing a procedure to remove a parathyroid gland before returning to action. Pitcher Stephen Strasburg, infielder Starlin Castro, and outfielder Juan Soto were also slowed by leg injuries during camp that team doctors determined to be minor.
On March 27, the Nationals made their final major round of roster cuts, designating rookie infielder Jake Noll for assignment and purchasing the contracts of veteran utilitymen Jordy Mercer and Hernán Pérez. Former top prospects Luis García Jr. and Carter Kieboom were optioned to the minor leagues after disappointing spring training performances; Kieboom had been expected to be the starting third baseman for the Nationals, but that changed after he managed just six hits over his first 17 spring training games while striking out 17 times, including an 0-for-5 performance in a win over the New York Mets on March 26. The Nationals made one more addition on March 28, officially naming left-handed reliever Luis Avilán to the 26-man roster and designating right-hander Dakota Bacus for assignment in a corresponding move.