Former Nationals Pitchers Find New Homes
By Jared Book
Edwin Jackson and Tom Gorzelanny have both found new homes today as both signed multi-year contracts with teams in the National League Central.
Oct 8, 2012; St. Louis, MO, USA; Washington Nationals starting pitcher Edwin Jackson (33) looks on during game two of the 2012 NLDS against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. The Cardinals won 12-4. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
Jackson finally got his big pay-day, signing with the Cubs for a reported 4 years and $52 million according to several sources on Twitter, including former teammate Gio Gonzalez.
Gorzelanny signed a two-year deal with the Milwaukee Brewers for a reported $6 million which is right around where he would have been if he had been tendered by the Nationals.
Both pitchers were deemed replaceable by the Nationals not necessarily for their pitching but for the money they would have been making or were seeking for the role they would have played in Washington. Gorzelanny’s role is essentially replaced by Zach Duke or Bill Bray while Jackson’s is replaced by Dan Haren who is making the same yearly salary as Jackson but for only one year. Next year, it could be Haren in Jackson’s place for all we know.
The two signing elsewhere, along with John Lannan signing in Philadelphia earlier this week, closes the door on most of the Nationals free agents. The only ones that remain are Adam LaRoche and Jesus Flores from the Major League team a year ago. The Nationals are still major players on LaRoche but it seems that news around him is at a stand still. Whether that is due to the holidays approaching or due to a new market evolving after the signing of Josh Hamilton to the Los Angeles Angels and the trade of Kendrys Morales to the Seattle Mariners, no one knows.