The Washington Nationals signed relief pitcher Francisco Rodriguez to a minor league deal Monday, according to Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports.
Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post later reported it was a "done deal."
The move comes after the Detroit Tigers released Rodriguez on June 23 after he encountered struggles galore at the start of the 2017 season.
In 28 appearances for the Tigers, Rodriguez went 2-5 with a 7.82 ERA, seven saves and six blown saves—a mark that ranked first among all pitchers at the time of his release.
 
 
Francisco Rodriguez agrees to deal with Nats
 
 
"It wasn't an easy decision in the sense that Frankie's got a long track record, he's one of the best closers in the history of the game, over 400 saves," manager Brad Ausmus told reporters when Rodriguez was removed from the closer's role in May. "It's not easy to tell a guy that's been so good for so long that you're taking him out of that role for the time being."
However, there may be hope for the 35-year-old yet now that he's been afforded a fresh start. 
In 2016, K-Rod proved fairly steady as the Tigers closer, racking up 44 saves, a 3.24 ERA and a 1.131 WHIP while recording eight strikeouts per nine innings. 
Washington also ranks 26th in the majors in bullpen ERA at 4.88.  
Expectations should be tempered based on the way Rodriguez's tenure with the Tigers came to an end, but if he can find the form that allowed him to flourish a year ago, he could prove to be a solid value signing who pays dividends down the line.  
Alec Nathan/Bleacher Report
 

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