WASHINGTON -- The Nationals came to terms on contracts with four arbitration-eligible players by Thursday's arbitration deadline: second baseman Luis García, outfielder Lane Thomas and right-handers Kyle Finnegan and Hunter Harvey.

In mid-November, the Nationals also agreed to one-year contracts for the 2024 season with center fielder Victor Robles and right-hander Tanner Rainey, both of whom were arbitration eligible.

Players become eligible for arbitration when they have three or more years – but fewer than six years – of Major League service time. Additionally, García is a “Super Two” player, with less than three but more than two years of service time.

To avoid arbitration, players and organizations negotiate salaries based primarily on the contracts of comparable players signed in recent years.

Thomas, 28, had a breakout season in 2023, slashing .268/.315/.468 with a .783 OPS, 28 home runs and 20 stolen bases to become the sixth player in Nats team history (2005-present) to post a 20-20 season. He also led the club in homers, runs scored (101), slugging percentage and OPS (.823). A Gold Glove Award finalist for the first time in his career, Thomas ranked second among all outfielders with 18 assists. He was acquired by the Nationals in 2021 from the Cardinals in exchange for southpaw Jon Lester.

Like Thomas, Harvey is coming off the best season of his career. The 29-year-old thrived, going 4-4 with 10 saves and a 2.82 ERA across a career-high 60 2/3 innings. He tied for fourth among National League relievers in strikeout-to-walk ratio (5.15) and ranked fourth among NL relievers in WHIP (0.94). In May, Harvey and his dad, former All-Star reliever Bryan, became the ninth father-son pairing in Major League history to record saves. The Nats claimed Harvey off waivers from the Giants during Spring Training in 2022.

Finnegan, 32, led the Nationals with a career-best 28 saves, a total that ranked seventh among NL relievers. In his first three seasons, by comparison, Finnegan recorded 22 saves. Finnegan went 7-5 with a 3.76 ERA in 69 1/3 innings and was the only reliever in all of baseball last year with at least 28 saves and eight holds. Finnegan signed with the Nationals as a free agent in December of 2019 and made his Major League debut that season.

García, 23, slashed .266/.304/.385 with a .688 OPS with nine home runs and nine stolen bases. He spent time with Triple-A Rochester during August and September as a way to reset offensively and defensively, appearing in 25 games with the Red Wings before finishing the season in the Majors. He is continuing to get reps this offseason playing for Gigantes del Cibao in the Dominican Winter League. García signed with the Nationals as an international free agent in 2016.