Washington Nationals Re-Sign Closer Kyle Finnegan
2024 All-Star returns to Washington on a 1-year deal.
The Nationals have reached a one-year, $6M agreement to bring back long-time closer Kyle Finnegan for the 2025 season, according to Robert Murray.
The reunion will bring about Finnegan’s sixth season in D.C. The 33-year-old has logged at least 11 saves in each of the last four years with the Nationals, becoming the full-time closer entering 2023.
The move also deepens a bullpen that was set the enter the year with several question marks. Jorge Lopez headlined a group of new faces that also includes Lucas Sims, Rule-5 pick Evan Reifert, along with Colin Poche and Patrick Weigel who were added on minor-league deals.
But Finnegan now gives the team a quality back-end mix along with Lopez and Jose Ferrer, and allows some of the more hit-or-miss options like Reifert and Sims to be leaned on less heavily. A bullpen that previously looked potentially shakier than its 2024 counterpart now looks comfortably better than it did last year, even if it won’t be counted amongst the league’s elite relief units.
Finnegan also enters the season in position to entrench himself in the Nationals history books. The Texas State product is just 8 saves from passing Drew Storen for second in franchise history (96), 12 saves from achieving 100 for his career, and 26 away from passing Chad Cordero for the most in Nationals history (114).
While Finnegan will probably never be considered the best closer in franchise history, he’s poised to become the most accomplished if he can put together a strong 2025 season.