With the trading deadline quickly approaching we look at one time Washington National David DeJesus and his brief stay with the team.
In this edition of “do you remember this player playing for the Washington Nationals“, we spotlight David DeJesus. If you didn’t he remember he played in DC don’t worry, he wasn’t there long enough to make an impression.
"“[DeJesus] gives us a few things that I thought that we needed going forward,” said Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo prior to the game. “He improves our left-handed [hitting] side of the bench immediately. He’s also a guy that’s capable of being an everyday player and he can step in there for extended periods of time if there are injuries and that type of thing. So I think he helps us in a variety of ways.”"
I’m not buying any of this. I think DeJesus was purchased from the Chicago Cubs to block another team from claiming him off waivers. A team whom the Nationals didn’t want DeJesus to go to.
If he improves the left-handed hitting off the bench, why was he then dealt a handful of days after the Nationals acquired him.
All told, DeJesus was a member of the Washington Nationals for four days. He played in three games (all against his former team, the Cubs) entering two as a pinch hitter and one as a defensive replacement. The Nationals went 2-1 in these games.
DeJesus came to the plate four times and produced an out each time. Once he was credited with a sacrifice bunt.
At the end of the Cubs series, the Nationals traded him to the Tampa Bay Rays for Matthew Span, a minor league pitcher, who would only pitch one game above Double A in the Nationals organization before leaving baseball.
The Nationals never wanted any part of David DeJesus, regardless of what Mike Rizzo says about loving his left handed bat. The Nationals wanted to keep him away from other contenders in the same league. They wanted to determine where he went, therefore claiming him and sending him to the American League.
Regardless of the backstory, David DeJesus will go down as a former Washington National, even though he spent an unproductive four days on the team.