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Washington Nationals Who Made The 2016 Naughty Or Nice List?

By Ricky Keeler

Apr 22, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals manager Dusty Baker (12) stands in the dugout during the second inning against the Minnesota Twins at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 22, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals manager Dusty Baker (12) stands in the dugout during the second inning against the Minnesota Twins at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports /
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Washington Nationals
Aug 16, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Washington Nationals starting pitcher Gio Gonzalez (47) delivers a pitch in the third inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports /

Gio Gonzalez

Now, it’s time to get to which Washington Nationals make this year’s naughty list. First up, it’s left-hander Gio Gonzalez, who once again showed a lot of inconsistency in the Washington Nationals starting rotation.

Gonzalez got off to a great start to the season as he had a 1.42 ERA in his first four starts. But, the 31-year-old started to struggle. From May 1 to June 30, Gonzalez went 3-6 over a 12-start stretch and gave up nine home runs (six of them in the month of May).

Once July came around, Gonzalez got a little bit better as teams hit .227 against him in July and .208 in August. But, in the month of September, Gonzalez went 1-2 with a 7.43 ERA in five starts. Then, in the postseason, Gonzalez couldn’t make it out of the fifth inning in Game 3 of the NLDS against the Dodgers.

If Gonzalez is only a back of the rotation starter, then he’s a good option to have, which is why the Washington Nationals picked up his $12 million team option for 2017. But, if he has to relied upon to be a third starter because of injuries, then the rotation does take a hit.

Hopefully, Santa brought some consistency for Gonzalez this Christmas as he heads into the 2017 season. He’s not the pitcher that finished in the third place in the National Cy Young award back in 2012. With that being said, Gonzalez still can win more than 11 games (something he hasn’t done since 2012).

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