Manhattan College sent two pitchers to Washington. The Nationals sent both of them packing.
Left-hander Tom Cosgrove and right-hander Max Kranick — a pair of Jaspers alumni who found their way onto the same MLB roster — were casualties of a Nationals roster shakeup that followed a high-profile 9th-inning collapse, with the organization axing both men within days of each other in early September.
The sequence began with Cosgrove. On Wednesday, Washington designated the southpaw for assignment to clear a roster spot for the return of slugger James Wood, who had been sidelined for a month with an oblique strain. Cosgrove's final performance as a National was ugly: on August 30th against the Marlins, he recorded just two outs while surrendering three earned runs, ballooning his ERA to 7.71. That outing was part of a broader 9th-inning meltdown that Yahoo Sports described as an "embarrassing" collapse — the kind of game that tends to accelerate front-office decisions already hovering over a player's head.
Kranick didn't have to wait long for his own pink slip. The Nationals subsequently designated him for assignment as the corresponding move to select the contract of right-hander Jack Sinclair. Two Manhattan alumni, two DFAs, same week.
Cosgrove's situation resolved with some finality shortly after: he cleared outright waivers and was assigned to Triple-A Rochester, meaning no other club jumped at the chance to claim him. Kranick's situation was still playing out as of the close of the period, with his DFA leaving open the possibilities of a trade, outright assignment, or release.
It's a tough stretch for the Jaspers' MLB contingent. Cosgrove, who had previously appeared on the Astros' radar as a roster piece, never quite locked down consistent usage in Washington. Kranick, 29, arrived with the Nationals carrying the modest ceiling of a back-end reliever — a ceiling the club clearly decided he'd failed to reach.
For Manhattan fans tracking alumni in the bigs, the consolation is that the school still has a presence in the league. Joe Jacques remains with the Mets organization, giving the Riverdale program at least one active arm still on a big-league roster heading into September.
But the week belonged — if that's the right word — to Cosgrove and Kranick, two former Jaspers who found themselves on the same sinking ship and got swept overboard together. It's a cold reminder that in September roster math, even alumni solidarity doesn't buy you an extra out.
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