Nationals Sign Veteran Reliever Drew Smith to Minor‑League Deal, Eyes MLB Return

The Washington Nationals added 32-year-old right-handed reliever Drew Smith to camp on a Minor-League contract with an invitation to big-league Spring Training during the week of Feb. 16, 2026, a move that injects experienced bullpen depth into a group that finished last by bullpen ERA last season. Smith’s signing, first reported by SNY and confirmed in coverage through MLB Trade Rumors and MLB.com, arrives as the Nationals supplement a young relief corps with veterans after the club also brought in lefty Cionel Pérez days earlier.

Financially the deal is structured to reward a return to the majors. SNY reported Smith can earn 1.75 million dollars if he makes the big-league team, while MLB Trade Rumors outlined that the contract carries a 1.75 million dollar base payout plus up to 1.25 million dollars in performance bonuses. The New York Mets declined a 2 million dollar club option on Smith for 2026, making him a free agent before this agreement.

Smith’s health picture remains the key variable. Multiple outlets noted Smith missed the entire 2025 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in July 2024, a second such procedure in his career. MLB.com described the signing as “pending a physical,” and SNY cautioned, “It’s unknown exactly where he stands in his recovery at this point, but you’d have to figure he’s at least close to or at 100 percent heading into spring training.”

On the mound Smith brings a track record of swing-and-miss stuff and a resume with the Mets. Sources report a career 3.48 ERA and a career WHIP listed as approximately 1.27, with DistrictOnDeck providing a counting line of 202 strikeouts, 77 walks, 196.1 innings and 191 MLB games. In a small 2024 sample he posted a 29.1 percent strikeout rate across 17 2/3 innings and recorded two saves. FederalBaseball cataloged his repertoire as a fastball around 95 miles per hour with a cutter, slider, curveball and occasional changeup, noting he can be susceptible to hard contact even as he misses bats.

The Nationals framed Smith’s addition as competition for immediate innings. MLB.com quoted pitching coach Simon Mathews saying, “The bullpen is kind of wide open,” and added Mathews’ follow up that there are “a lot of really interesting arms down there and a lot of guys with a lot to prove.” Manager Blake Butera, speaking about fellow signing Cionel Pérez, said, “Our pitching group is fired up to have him, as am I. He’s somebody who has already had success in the big leagues,” and recounted a clubhouse tease in which CJ Abrams marveled at Pérez’s stuff.

Analysts called the signing low-risk and potentially high-reward for a club in need of reliable late-inning options. DistrictOnDeck called it “a very solid addition for the Nationals' bullpen,” and FederalBaseball described the move as low risk because it is a Minor-League deal. Next steps for the Nationals include Smith’s physical and an official medical clearance, plus clarity on whether he will immediately compete for high-leverage MLB innings or provide depth between Triple-A and the major league roster.