The former top prospect was designated for assignment by Washington last weekend but will remain in the organization after passing through waivers unclaimed. Hassell received his first taste of the majors in 2025 and posted a .572 OPS and 30.1 percent strikeout rate in 70 games, and he performed similarly at Rochester this season with a .216/.307/.291 slash line across 258 plate appearances.

Part of the six-player haul the Nationals received in the August 2022 trade that sent Juan Soto to San Diego, Hassell had seen his development stall out over the past couple of seasons. The 24-year-old outfielder reached the big leagues for the first time in 2025 and produced a lowly .572 OPS in 70 games, and he hadn't shown much sign of improvement while spending the entire campaign to date at Triple-A Rochester. Over 258 plate appearances at Triple-A, Hassell struck out at a 25.2 clip and slashed .216/.307/.291 with two home runs and eight steals. Washington will move Hassell off the 40-man roster to clear a spot for right-hander Eddy Yean, whose contract was selected from Triple-A.