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WASHINGTON (AP) — Former special counsel Jack Smith testified Thursday about his investigation of President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn…

While this move will be overshadowed by the MacKenzie Gore trade, Paul Toboni made another waiver claim. This time he picked up Gus Varland from the Diamondbacks. He is the older brother of Blue Jays reliever Louis Varland and has some similarities. To make room on the 40-man roster the Nationals DFA’d Riley Adams. The Nationals have claimed right-handed pitcher Gus Varland off waivers from the Arizona Diamondbacks and designated catcher Riley Adams for assignment.— Nationals Communications (@NationalsComms) January 22, 2026 While Varland did not pitch in the MLB in 2025 and had an injury riddled season, he has MLB experience. He had a really strong season in 2024, posting a 3.42 ERA in 26.1 innings with 27 strikeouts. If he can get back to that form in 2026, he can be a nice piece for the Nats bullpen. At just 29 years old, Varland still has time on his side as well. Varland has an exciting fastball/slider combination that can get big league outs. His fastball sat at 95 MPH in 2024, but it has a ton of carry at the top of the zone. The heater is comfortably his best pitch and he throws it over 55% of the time. Varland’s primary secondary pitch is a high-80’s slider, but he also mixes in a changeup. He is an interesting piece to add to a wide open mix in the Nats bullpen. With Varland and Paxton Schultz in the fold, Paul Toboni has created some more bullpen depth. The high leverage spots are a concern, but it feels like the bullpen has more capable bodies now. On the other side of the coin, the Nats DFA’d Riley Adams, who has been with the team for a while. Adams was part of a deal that sent Brad Hand to the Blue Jays. While he has not been great, getting a big leaguer for Hand is a win. In his time with the Nats, Adams posted a .640 OPS. The Nationals have claimed Gus Varland off waivers from the Arizona Diamondbacks and DFA’d catcher Riley Adams.Adams, acquired in the sell-off in 2021 for Brad Hand, hit .215 with a .640 OPS in five seasons with the Nationals.— Andrew Golden (@andrewcgolden) January 22, 2026 Adams has some eye-popping tools, most notably his elite bat speed. His 78.3 MPH average swing speed is one of the best marks in the sport. He also has an absolute cannon of an arm. However, he was just unable to fully put things together. Adams will turn 30 this year, so time is not really on his side anymore. He is also out of options, so it feels unlikely that he gets claimed. Given some of the tools, I would not be shocked if he got claimed though. Obviously, this move will be overshadowed by the Gore trade, but it could be a decent pickup for the bullpen. Paul Toboni is making his mark on this roster, there is no denying that.

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Just after I wrote that a MacKenzie Gore trade seemed unlikely, Paul Toboni pulled the trigger. He sent Gore to the Texas Rangers for a five prospect haul. While the Nats did not get Sebastian Walcott, they got five quality pieces from Texas. The return consists of SS/3B Gavin Fien, RHP Alejandro Rosario, 2B Devin Fitz-Gerald, 1B Abimelec Ortiz and OF Yeremy Cabrera. Full trade, per ESPN sources:Rangers get: LHP MacKenzie GoreNationals get: 3B Gavin Fien, SS Devin Fitz-Gerald, RHP Alejandro Rosario, 1B Abimelec Ortiz and and OF Yeremy CabreraA big return for the Nationals. Fien was the 12th pick last year. Evaluators love Fitz-Gerald.— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) January 22, 2026 The headliner of the return is Fien, who was selected 12th overall by the Rangers last year. He was a shortstop in high school, but is likely to move to third base. Fien was one of the most impressive hitters in last year’s class with a really nice blend of hitting ability and power. Analytically inclined scouts loved Fien’s bat speed and plate discipline. While his swing is not the most traditional, he made plenty of contact on the showcase circuit. He may not be a top 100 prospect yet, but with a strong year, he can surge on to the list. What you need to know about new Nats prospect Gavin Fien-12th overall pick in 2025 MLB Draft-Demolished top prep arms in summer before senior year, posting a 1.262 OPS-Analytics people love him for his strong plate discipline and bat speedpic.twitter.com/SOKv6ECNmV— Paul Cubbage (@PaulCubbage23) January 22, 2026 Admittedly, this is a bit of an underwhelming headliner for Gore. However, that is the reason the Nats were able to get five interesting pieces in this deal. Toboni had a choice, he could swing big for one top 50 type prospect or get a grab bag of solid pieces. He chose the latter option, and only time will tell if he is right.  Most of my trade suggestions had the Nats going after a big name headliner, but only getting one or two other pieces. Toboni decided to do something different, which is a bit of a gamble. However, it is one that could pay off in a big way. There is a world where Fien and Fitz-Gerald are top 100 prospects. As Jeff Passan noted, evaluators loved Fitz-Gerald. He is a switch hitter with a really nice blend of contact and power. Fitz-Gerald is not much of a defender, but scouts think he could be serviceable at second base. Alejandro Rosario is an interesting case. He was a top 100 prospect in 2024, but went down with a torn UCL in 2025, missing the whole season. However, it has been reported that he did not get his Tommy John Surgery until a couple weeks ago and will miss all of 2026 as well. A weird situation, but if the 2024 version of Rosario returns, his upside is massive. The squatty 5’10 230 pound Abimelec Ortiz is the fourth prospect in the deal. The 23 year old slugger hit 25 homers in the minors last year and has very good bat to ball data. He should have a chance to compete for reps at 1B or DH.  Abimelec Ortiz finished 2025 with 25 HR and a 124 wRC+ across AA and AAA. In 165 PA at AAA, he put up a .953 OPS w/ a 53.8% Hard-Hit%, .377 xwOBA, & an 88.6% Z-Contact%. He's raked in his professional career & put up a 33 HR campaign back in 2023 in just 109 games. pic.twitter.com/MMPJ6zCv8X— Running From The OPS (@OPS_BASEBALL) January 6, 2026 The last piece is 20 year old outfielder Yeremy Cabrera. He is a speedster who also has some power upside. It is more of a throw in, but he is better than your average throw in.  Prospect rankings in Rangers' top 30 per MLB Pipeline/Baseball America:SS Gavin Fien: 2/3RHP Alejandro Rosario: 6/13INF Devin Fitz-Gerald: 12/8OF Yeremy Cabrera: 16/141B Abimelec Ortiz: 18/NR https://t.co/yji1lbdfon— Bobby Blanco (@Bobby_Blanco) January 22, 2026 Overall, the package is solid, but unexpected. It is pretty similar to the Shane Baz deal that went down between the Rays and the Orioles. The Nats needed to add more…