Washington Nationals: Howie Kendrick’s return is delightful
By Ron Juckett
The Washington Nationals bring back another solid bench piece by signing Howie Kendrick. He can play the outfield and the right side of the infield.
If you get the sense the Washington Nationals are putting the band back together again, you might be right.
Howie Kendrick, the veteran utility outfielder, agreed to a two-year deal with Washington Monday for a minimum of $7 million. Incentives could push the deal over $9 million.
As the Nats battled injuries last summer, Kendrick came over from the Philadelphia Phillies near the trade deadline for pitching prospect McKenzie Mills. The move was an instant success.
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Kendrick filled in both corner outfield spots along with his native second base and a few innings at first. One would guess he, along with Brian Goodwin, will be the fourth outfielder to stat the season. Wilmer Difo can concentrate on being the utility infielder once Daniel Murphy returns from knee surgery.
Over 52 games last year, Kendrick was a force in the lineup. His slash line of .293/.343/.494 filling in for Jayson Werth turned heads. His eight doubles and seven home runs made him a crowd favorite. Remember, the old R&B classic, “This is how we do it” rained down from the sky when he smashed a hit.
As with his original move to Washington, re-signing Kendrick smacks of a typical Mike Rizzo move. Kendrick is the third Nats free agent from last season, joining Brandon Kintzler and Ryan Raburn, to return.
For Rizzo, this joins the long list of low-risk and high-reward moves he is famous. Although Washington is a big-market payroll team, there is a fundamental understanding that finding the right pieces wins championships. Role players are essential and Kendrick is good.
With Kendrick’s signing the one question mark left on the bench is who wins the backup catcher’s job between Pedro Severino and Raudy Read. Matt Adams, signed to replace Adam Lind, is the other player holding down the dugout as Ryan Zimmerman’s understudy.
Although many of you are looking for a splashy signing this off-season, enjoy the fact players want to be here. It speaks volumes about the team when given the chance to leave they want to stay. Kendrick takes a massive pay cut to remain in Washington.
How much? Try $6.5 million as he made $10 million in 2017. Reportedly, he had better offers elsewhere. Do not let those October results fool you. This team can win a championship and smart players know that.
As with Kintzler, Kendrick’s return falls into the delightful surprise category. Now, these veterans need each other to push everyone over the top.