The Nationals are working toward a contract extension with Cade Cavalli, a sign that the club wants to keep its resurgent right-hander at the center of its rotation well beyond his current deal.
Cavalli, 28, is already under team control through 2030, but Washington’s discussions come after a breakthrough season that has changed the shape of its pitching plans. Following an injury-plagued stretch that kept him out for nearly three years, the former 2020 Draft selection has delivered a full-season workload and performed like one of the National League’s top starters.
Cavalli has carried the rotation
Through 31 starts, Cavalli is 12-5 with a 3.12 ERA over 164 2/3 innings. He has struck out 194 hitters, the fourth-highest total among National League pitchers.
| Category | Cavalli’s mark | NL standing |
|---|---|---|
| Starts | 31 | — |
| Record | 12-5 | — |
| ERA | 3.12 | — |
| Innings pitched | 164 2/3 | — |
| Strikeouts | 194 | 4th |
| Strikeout-to-walk ratio | 4.04 | 8th |
| WHIP | 1.17 | 9th |
| Opponents’ batting average | .233 | 10th |
The stuff has backed up the results. Cavalli sits in the 99th percentile in breaking-ball run value, with a mark of 14, giving Washington a power arm capable of missing bats while working deep enough into games to stabilize the staff.
A different kind of commitment for Washington
The Nationals have generally filled rotation openings with shorter contracts while relying on their farm system for the next wave of starters. Cavalli himself came through that route after Washington drafted him in 2020.
An extension would mark a notable change from the club’s recent contract history. Washington has not completed an extension with any player since catcher Keibert Ruiz agreed to an eight-year, $50 million contract during Spring Training in 2023.
The last Nationals starter to receive a commitment longer than three years was Stephen Strasburg, whose seven-year, $175 million extension followed the club’s 2019 World Series title and stood as a record-setting deal at the time.
Cavalli’s medical history will inevitably be part of any long-term calculation, but his first complete Major League campaign has given Washington a compelling reason to explore a deal now. The Nationals have watched him turn a long road back into a season that looks like the foundation of a rotation.
