Former Red Sox outfielder Rusney Castillo signed a minor league deal with the Washington Nationals earlier this month.
Castillo, 34, signed a seven-year, $72.5 million deal with the Red Sox in 2014, but never really panned out, appearing in 99 games over three seasons, batting .262 with seven home runs, last appearing in the majors in 2016.
He was taken off the big league roster so his salary would no longer counted toward their payroll for luxury tax purposes. But that loophole was closed in the next collective bargaining agreement, so if he was added to the big league roster, only to be outrighted again, his average annual salary would still be taxable.