Closer Kyle Finnegan Next Free Agent Reliever With “Significant” Suitors

The run of free agent closers has been the talk of the offseason market the past week or two, and with names like Tanner Scott, Kirby Yates and Paul Sewald now off the board, talk is picking up "significantly" for Kyle Finnegan.

With numerous free-agent relievers coming off the board recently, right-hander Kyle Finnegan’s market has picked up significantly. Finnegan, 33, was surprisingly non-tendered by the Nationals after recording a 3.68 ERA and 38 saves last season.
— Robert Murray (@ByRobertMurray) January 23, 2025

That's the report from insider Robert Murray, who notes his surprise that the Washington Nationals non-tendered the 33-year-old, who led the Nats with 38 saves last season, which was good for third in the entire MLB.

There's a report that the Nationals tried to negotiate with Finnegan before non-tendering him, as he was projected to make $8.6 million in arbitration, beyond their means, apparently.

Working against Finnegan in any negotiations was his brutal finish to the year in the second half, registering a 6.43 ERA over the last 2 1/2 months, plus the fact that he had the worst ERA+ of his career (110) over the course of the year, and the highest hard-hit percentage allowed in his five seasons.

He was, however, an All-Star in 2024, and has 88 saves in the last four seasons in D.C. His ERA, WHIP and strikeout numbers aren't anywhere near as dominating as Scott or Yates, for instance, but for a team looking low-key for a closer for the back end of their bullpen, you could do a lot worse right now than Finnegan.