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Washington Nationals: Ranking the free agents team should re-sign

By James Simmons

Howie Kendrick #47 of the Washington Nationals leads off second base during a baseball game against the Miami Marlins at Nationals Park on August 24, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
Howie Kendrick #47 of the Washington Nationals leads off second base during a baseball game against the Miami Marlins at Nationals Park on August 24, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /
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Sean Doolittle has fallen out of favor with the Washington Nationals.
Sean Doolittle #63 of the Washington Nationals throws a pitch against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on September 3, 2020 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Phillies defeated the Nationals 6-5 in extra innings. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /

Sean Doolittle

Former closer Sean Doolittle will be at the end of the team friendly 7 YR/$22.5M contract he signed when he was a member of the Oakland A’s. Even though he is no longer the closer for the Washington Nationals, he will hit the open market looking for closer money.

Doolittle has put up decent numbers in his four years with the Nationals. All told, he is 10-10 with an earned run average of 3.03, to go along with 75 saves.

Injuries have hampered the last two years for Doolittle, as he was unseated as the team’s closer late last year when Daniel Hudson came to town. This year he began the season as a setup man, and has been to the injured list twice.

The most recent trip is because of a right oblique strain, and could effectively end the season for the 2018 All-Star.

Injuries and ineffectiveness will be what Washington fans will be left with from Doolittle’s last year with the team. During his three prior seasons with the team he was a well trusted left-handed closer out of the pen.

With the resume Doolittle boasts, he will earn more money than what the Nationals are willing to pay on him. If his current stint on the IL lasts thirteen more games, Sean Doolittle has indeed thrown his last pitch for the Nationals.

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