Just Four Days After Dodgers Released Him on July 4, Nationals Waste No Time and Sign Reliever Luis García

In the unpredictable world of Major League Baseball, careers can pivot on a dime. One day, a player is cut loose by a contender, and the next, he’s wearing the uniform of a team eager to take a calculated chance. That’s exactly the case for right-handed reliever Luis García, who was released by the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 4 and has now been swiftly picked up by the Washington Nationals just four days later.

The move is as intriguing as it is rapid. García, a flamethrower with a checkered but promising MLB resume, finds himself back in familiar territory. The Nationals know García well—this is a reunion of sorts, not an experiment in the dark. Washington originally signed García out of the Dominican Republic back in 2013. He debuted in 2017 with the Philadelphia Phillies, but it was with the Nationals from 2021 to 2023 that García enjoyed one of his best stretches as a reliever.

Now, García returns to a Nationals bullpen in desperate need of depth, power arms, and experienced innings. The current Washington relief corps ranks near the bottom of the National League in ERA and WHIP. For a team looking to develop young talent while staying competitive, the addition of a veteran like García could pay dividends—not only on the field but in the clubhouse, where leadership and familiarity matter.

But this wasn’t just a sentimental signing. It was an opportunistic strike.

The Dodgers’ decision to release García on July 4 was largely a numbers game. Los Angeles boasts one of the deepest rosters in baseball, and the emergence of other bullpen arms made García expendable. In eight appearances for the Dodgers this season, García posted a 6.43 ERA with a 1.64 WHIP, struggling with command and failing to find consistency. While those numbers were unsightly, they didn’t tell the entire story. His velocity was still up, his slider was generating swings and misses, and he was working through mechanical adjustments after an oblique injury delayed his start to the 2024 campaign.

That’s exactly the kind of profile that appeals to rebuilding teams—or even just teams looking to patch bullpen holes. The Nationals acted fast. Rather than let García linger on the open market, they moved swiftly to sign him, signaling both a belief in his upside and a need for immediate help.

Washington’s current bullpen situation is a case study in volatility. The team has cycled through young arms, journeymen, and waiver-wire additions, looking for any semblance of reliability. In that landscape, García’s experience stands out. He owns a career 4.10 ERA across over 270 innings pitched, and when healthy, he’s shown the ability to be more than just a mop-up guy. In 2022, for example, he posted a 3.41 ERA across 60 appearances with the Padres. That season, he ranked among the league leaders in groundball rate and soft contact.

Nationals manager Dave Martinez is no stranger to bullpen jigsaw puzzles. His time in Washington has been marked by the challenge of assembling competent late-inning relief with limited resources. García provides a known quantity—he’s pitched for Martinez before and understands the expectations and clubhouse culture in D.C.

The familiarity doesn’t end there. Nationals pitching coach Jim Hickey also worked with García during his previous stint, giving the team a head start on what tweaks might be needed to return him to form. Whether it’s refining his pitch mix, adjusting his arm slot, or simply giving him a runway of low-leverage opportunities to regain confidence, the Nationals now have the ability to reshape García without the pressure of instant results.

For García, the move represents a lifeline and a homecoming. Being released by a team as stacked as the Dodgers doesn’t necessarily spell the end—it can often mean a reset. And for a pitcher who’s bounced between organizations (Phillies, Angels, Yankees, Padres, Dodgers) over the past decade, stability can be as valuable as any pitch in his arsenal.

There’s also a strategic layer here. If García can bounce back and find form over the next couple of months, the Nationals could flip him at the trade deadline for a low-tier prospect or international bonus slot money. It’s a low-risk, high-reward transaction for a front office that needs to extract value wherever it can. Washington is still in the thick of a retooling phase. While they aren’t outright tanking, they’re not exactly contenders either. Players like García—veterans with upside—are precisely the type of assets teams in Washington’s position should be acquiring.

From a roster construction standpoint, García doesn’t block any of the Nationals’ long-term bullpen prospects. He’s more of a bridge—someone who can eat innings now while younger arms like Holden Powell or Amos Willingham continue to develop in the minors. If García thrives, great. If he doesn’t, the Nationals lose nothing but a few dollars and a roster spot.

It’s worth noting that García’s most effective stretch as a pro came under the National League umbrella. His ERA in the NL is markedly better than in his American League appearances, suggesting he’s more comfortable—or at least more effective—against the generally lighter-hitting lineups in the senior circuit. Whether that’s anecdotal or analytically significant is up for debate, but the comfort factor is undeniable.

The real question now is: how soon will he pitch?

According to team insiders, García will report to Triple-A Rochester to get in some work and refine his mechanics before a likely return to the big-league roster later this month. The Nationals plan to ease him back, giving him low-pressure innings while gauging his velocity, command, and ability to handle inherited runners. If things go according to plan, García could be pitching in high-leverage situations by mid-August.

His return to the Nationals isn’t just a baseball transaction—it’s a statement. It’s a signal that in a sport where timing and opportunity are everything, no door is ever truly closed. It also reminds fans that baseball, more than any other sport, loves a good redemption story. García now has the chance to author his own comeback in the city where he once found his stride.

The Nationals’ bet on García is a modest one—but it could become meaningful. If he stabilizes their bullpen or nets a return at the deadline, the signing will be hailed as another savvy move by general manager Mike Rizzo. If it fizzles, the team simply turns the page.

For now, though, the page is open, and the story is still unwritten. García has been handed a second chance—perhaps his last, perhaps his best—and the baseball world will be watching to see what he does with it.