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Washington Nationals News: Did Ian Desmond make a mistake turning down Nats’ qualifying offer?

By Pablo Roa

Sep 28, 2015; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals shortstop Ian Desmond (20) in the dugout during the game between the Washington Nationals and the Cincinnati Reds at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 28, 2015; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals shortstop Ian Desmond (20) in the dugout during the game between the Washington Nationals and the Cincinnati Reds at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports /
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Today’s District Daily features stories on free agent Ian Desmond and former-Expo Tim Raines’ Hall of Fame chances in 2017.

Good evening DoD readers, and welcome to today’s District Daily. Get caught up on the latest Nats news and opinions with some great Washington Nationals articles from around the web below.

In today’s Daily, The Washington Post’s Neil Greenberg discusses why Ian Desmond may have made a mistake when he turned down the Nationals’ qualifying offer earlier this offseason.

As Greenberg notes, Desmond’s production at the plate has been declining for several years now and its unlikely that he’ll get the large, multi-year deal that he’s looking for this offseason. With Spring Training rapidly approaching, Desmond is still unsigned and at this point its unclear what team (if any) is interested.

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Of course, Desmond will eventually get signed by a team and he’ll likely get a hefty sum of cash from whomever he signs with. Unfortunately for Desmond, it’s unlikely that he’ll get more money in 2017 than the $15.8 million qualifying offer the Nationals offered him earlier.

Also in today’s Daily, MLB.com’s Bill Ladson discusses Expos legend Tim Raines’ chances of making the Hall of Fame in 2017 — his final season on the ballot.

Be sure to check out both articles below, they’re definitely worth a read. And as always, stay tuned to DoD for all your Washington Nationals needs.

Ian Desmond made a mistake turning down Nats’ qualifying offer

(Neil Greenberg, Washington Post)

What a difference a year makes.

This time last year Ian Desmond won his third straight Silver Slugger award for being the best offensive shortstop in the National League and turned down a seven-year, $107 million contract extension from the Washington Nationals. In 2015, Desmond batted .233 with 19 home runs and 62 RBI, producing 1.7 wins above replacement. Fangraphs valued that production at $13.7 million dollars, or $8 million per fWAR. The 30-year-old made $11 million last season with Washington and turned down a qualifying offer, which was a one-year, $15.8 million deal, figuring he would make more on the open market. Read full article here.

Raines optimistic about final HOF ballot

(Bill Ladson, MLB.com)

NEW YORK — Next year will be Tim Raines’ 10th and final chance to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, and he likes his chances of joining former Expos teammates Gary Carter and Andre Dawson in Cooperstown.

Raines feels confident about his chances because this year’s Hall of Fame voting results, which were unveiled on Jan. 6, show how close he is to election. Raines was named on 69.8 percent of the ballots cast by members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, short of the 75 percent required for induction in Cooperstown. Read full article here.

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