Nationals sign pitcher Cade Cavalli to 4-year contract extension for reported $47 million with team option for 2031

The Washington Nationals have signed pitcher Cade Cavalli to a four-year contract extension, the team announced on Friday . The deal includes a club option for 2031.

The contract will pay Cavalli a guaranteed $47 million, but could be worth up to $70 million if the 2031 option is picked up, The Athletic's Spencer Nusbaum reports .

Cavalli, 28, is eighth among National League starting pitchers with a 3.12 ERA in 31 starts. In his first season as a full-time starter, he has 194 strikeouts (fourth among NL pitchers) in 164 2/3 innings with a 12-5 record.

During the second half of the season, Cavalli has excelled, posting a 2.05 ERA with a 7-1 record and 84 strikeouts in 66 innings.

The Nationals' 2020 first-round pick (No. 22 overall) out of Oklahoma, Cavalli was in his second year of arbitration eligibility with a $4 million club option for 2027, according to Spotrac . He missed the entire 2023 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery and only made 10 starts last year while working his way back.

With the contract extension, Washington buys out the 2027 option and Cavalli's final two arbitration seasons up to the 2030 season. The deal also includes a team option for 2031 in what would be Cavalli's first year of free agency.

After striking out Contreras during their 8-1 win on June 30, Cavalli yelled "Sit down, boy" which the 11-year veteran didn't take kindly. The Red Sox and Nationals benches and bullpens each emptied, with several players engaged in pushing and shoving, while Contreras tried to throw his helmet at Cavalli.

Both players were initially given seven-game suspensions by MLB, but Cavalli had his penalty reduced to five games and Contreras served a six-game punishment.

The last multiyear contract extension the Nationals signed a player to was catcher Keibert Ruiz , who inked an eight-year, $50 million agreement in 2023. This is the first long-term contract offered to a player under president of baseball operations Paul Toboni, who took that position a year ago .

At 71-82, the Nationals are fourth in the NL East but could still finish last in the division. Since winning the World Series in 2019 , Washington has finished either fourth or fifth for the past seven seasons. That could continue next season with one of MLB's smaller payrolls even while building around players like Ruiz and Cavalli.