Washington Nationals: 3 Black Friday bargains they should consider

Re-signing Anthony Rendon

The Nats have long had big plans for Anthony Rendon, as they drafted him sixth overall in 2011. He has lived up to these expectations, racking up a .280/.358/.812 slash line in his first five big league seasons.

In addition to producing at the plate, Rendon has consistently played gold glove-caliber defense at the hot corner. He has yet to win the award, because of Nolan Arenado‘s defensive wizardry, but he has been named a finalist several times.

2017 was Rendon’s best season to date by far. In 147 games, he owned a slash line of .301/.403/.533 to go with his 25 homers, 100 RBI’s, and 41 doubles. He also led the National League in WAR, according to FanGraphs.

Unfortunately, Rendon’s time with the Nats may be coming to an end soon. While he is not in the huge free agent class of Bryce Harper, Daniel Murphy, and Gio Gonzalez in 2018, his contract expires after 2019.

Although Rendon may not be very well-known nationally, he is among the best players in the league. This will hold him back in terms of awards, but those who follow the Nats know how good he truly is.

Because of Rendon’s low profile, he may not command as much in his next contract as he deserves. He has also seemed to enjoy his time with the Nats, so he may give them a bit of a hometown discount in extension discussions.

Between Rendon’s MVP-caliber performance and his probable affordability, the Nats should undoubtedly re-sign him. He is still just 27 years old, so he may not have even reached his peak yet.

If the Nats were to re-sign Rendon, it would likely be in the range of seven years, $100-150 million. While this may seem like a lot, it is not bad for a player of Rendon’s caliber.

Signing Rendon to an extension is not urgent, since he still has two years under team control remaining, but they should absolutely work out a deal. He has also been improving each season, so if the Nats sign him now, he may end up being an even bigger bargain down the road.

Letting Bryce Harper walk

Bryce Harper is currently the face of the franchise, and possibly even the face of baseball. After being featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated as a 16-year-old, he has gone on to become one of the most dynamic and exciting players in the league.

However, the Nats should not re-sign Harper when his contract expires after the 2018 season. It has been rumored that he is seeking to top Giancarlo Stanton‘s $325 million deal, and will sign for $400-500 million.

The deal will also likely be for about ten years, meaning Harper will make $40-50 million per season. While he is a generational talent and has undoubtedly helped the Nats, no player is worth that much money.

With the new luxury tax threshold, that would mean one player is getting paid nearly a quarter of the team’s payroll. No player, no matter how talented, is realistically worth this much.

Money is also fungible, which means that the same money that would be used to re-sign Harper can sign several solid free agents or re-sign other Nats. Whatever the Nats end up doing with the extra money, it would almost certainly be more productive than re-signing Harper.

Enormous contracts have also historically failed miserably. The Nats are a bad team to say this for, since Max Scherzer has been worth every penny of his $210 million contract, but they typically do not work out. Take Barry Zito, Alex Rodriguez, Albert Pujols, and Miguel Cabrera for example.

While Harper is a fantastic player, he is not worth the $400-500 million that he will demand in any contract discussions. If he is willing to sign for $350 million, he may be worth it. However, he is not likely to sign for that little. If the Nats give Harper what he reportedly wants, it could hinder them for years to come.

Signing Alex Cobb

After undergoing Tommy John Surgery in 2017, Joe Ross may miss the entire 2018 season. Because of this, the Nats have a need for a starting pitcher, and should consider signing Alex Cobb.

Cobb has spent the last six seasons pitching for the Tampa Bay Rays, and owns a 3.50 career ERA. He has been the American League’s version of Tanner Roark, a steadily solid starting pitcher who is often overlooked.

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One thing that may scare teams away is the fact that Cobb has undergone Tommy John Surgery. However, the Nats have historically handled Tommy John surgeries very well. Stephen Strasburg and Jordan Zimmermann are the most well-known examples, but there have been several others.

Cobb will also come relatively cheap. He rejected the qualifying offer, which means whoever signs him will have to forfeit a draft pick, but it would be worth it for a pitcher of his caliber. MLB Trade Rumors predicted he will sign for four years and $48 million, which is consistent with other projections as well.

Signing Cobb would benefit the Nats after Ross returns too, since Gio Gonzalez’s contract expires after the 2018 season. However, the Nats will not be alone in pursuing Cobb; the Cubs and Yankees, among other teams have also been linked to him.

Erick Fedde and A.J. Cole do not appear ready to become full-time MLB starters just yet, and Edwin Jackson pitched himself out of a job late in 2017, so the Nats have an obvious need for a starting pitcher. If they elect to fill this need through free agency, Cobb could turn out to be a terrific bargain.

Next: 3 things Nats fans should be thankful for

With Black Friday now here, millions of Americans will be doing quite a bit of shopping. The Nats have shopping to do as well, and they should absolutely consider these three potential bargains.