Veteran left-handed reliever Andrew Chafin opted out of his minor-league contract with the Detroit Tigers on Thursday and has officially signed a major-league deal with the Washington Nationals. It didn’t take long for Chafin to find a new home after proving once again he still has value at the big-league level.

Chafin’s Solid 2024 Campaign

After rejoining Detroit on a minor-league deal this spring, Chafin was hoping for another shot in the bigs. He had been one of the Tigers’ most effective bullpen arms in 2024, posting a 3.16 ERA with 50 strikeouts in 37 innings before being traded to the Texas Rangers at last year’s deadline.

Chafin didn’t land a guaranteed contract this winter, but his resume clearly still appeals — especially to a Nationals team in need of reliable bullpen depth.

Tigers Bullpen Moving Forward

With Chafin completely out of the picture, the Tigers will continue leaning on arms like Alex Lange, Will Vest, and Tyler Holton in the later innings. Detroit has built a scrappy, flexible bullpen, and Chafin knew it would be tough for him to get back to the big leagues unless there was an injury.