Matt Krook is back on the open market after ending his stint with the Washington Nationals during the MLB All-Star break. The left-handed reliever elected free agency after clearing outright waivers rather than accepting an assignment to Triple-A Rochester.
Washington designated Krook for assignment on July 12 to create room on the 40-man roster for Abimelec Ortiz. The Nationals announced Tuesday that Krook cleared waivers and exercised his right to reject an outright assignment because he had previously been outrighted in his career.
The move gives Washington additional roster flexibility while reducing its organizational left-handed pitching depth ahead of the July 31 trade deadline.
According to the Nationals' announcement, Krook became a free agent after declining the outright assignment to Triple-A Rochester. Players who have previously been outrighted can elect free agency instead of accepting another outright assignment.
The 31-year-old appeared in three games for Washington after being claimed off waivers from the Athletics on July 4. He allowed two earned runs over 2 2/3 innings with the Nationals after spending most of the season with Triple-A Las Vegas, where he posted a 3.72 ERA in 29 innings.
Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images
Washington enters the second half around 48-49 as it continues evaluating its roster ahead of the July 31 trade deadline. Moving on from Krook opens another roster spot as the club looks to create flexibility while evaluating younger pitching options.
Krook is now free to sign with any organization and will look for another opportunity after brief major league stints with both the Athletics and Nationals during the 2026 season.
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