Nationals non-tender Harper, Suero, Ford
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WASHINGTON -- The Nationals opted to not tender a contract to right-handed relievers Ryne Harper, Wander Suero and first baseman Mike Ford for next season, allowing them to become free agents.
The deadline for all teams to tender 2022 contracts to arbitration-eligible players -- those on the 40-man roster with more than three years but less than six years of Major League service -- was Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET.
• List of non-tendered free agents by team
Of their arbitration-eligible players, the Nationals tendered contracts to right fielder Juan Soto, center fielder Victor Robles, first baseman Josh Bell and right-handers Joe Ross, Erick Fedde, Tanner Rainey and Austin Voth. Washington avoided arbitration with outfielder Andrew Stevenson on Monday by agreeing to a one-year deal.
Suero, 30, appeared in 185 games across four seasons with the Nats. He was 14-13 with a 4.61 ERA over 185 1/3 innings, and his 78 appearances during the 2019 championship season ranked second among National League pitchers. After posting a 3.80 ERA in 2020, Suero struggled with command this season and was optioned to Triple-A Rochester in August. His ERA nearly doubled to 6.33 in ‘21.
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Harper, 32, was non-tendered after his second season in Washington. He went 0-2 with a 4.04 ERA in 35 2/3 frames at the Major League level this year, and he also appeared in 13 Triple-A games. Although he made 27 scoreless appearances, Harper saw his ERA in September jump to 12.79 after consecutive hard-hit outings.
The Nationals claimed Ford off waivers from the Rays in August, and he played the remainder of the season with Rochester. The 29-year-old left-handed hitter, who appeared in 101 games for the Yankees over the past three seasons, batted .202 in 29 games for the Red Wings.
The Nats will have to fill the vacancies left by Suero and Harper, but they did address some bullpen spots by tendering Fedde, Rainey and Voth. Their roles will be determined as the pitching staff takes shape, including if Fedde will vie for a place in the starting rotation again and whether Rainey will see time as a closer.
Following the non-tender deadline, the Nationals' 40-man roster stood at 37. That number grew to 38 when the team agreed to terms on a one-year deal with infielder César Hernández. Also on Tuesday, Washington claimed infielder Lucius Fox off waivers from the Orioles.