Washington Nationals: Ranking the free agents team should re-sign
The Washington Nationals will have five true free agents entering this offseason. We’ll look at the likelihood each one is brought back next year.
With the 2020 season having already gone up in flames, we are going to turn our attention to the offseason for a moment. The Washington Nationals have five players who were with the team at the beginning of the season and will enter free agency at season’s end.
The Nationals do hold team or mutual options on four other players as well. There could be a scenario where the team declines the option and then renegotiates a contract.
Last offseason the Nationals declined the $9M team option on catcher Yan Gomes, and signed him to a new 2 YR/$10 contract.
For the purpose of this piece we will only be looking at the players who are true free agents, and ranking them based on the likelihood they are back in a Nationals uniform for next season.
One aspect to remember is the Washington Nationals had the oldest roster of any opening day team this year. The five pending free agents we will look at today are all veteran players who have been in the league several years.
Our ranking goes from least likely to be back, to most likely to re-sign with the Nationals.
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.
Howie Kendrick
Oh how Howie Kendrick has endeared himself to the hearts of Washington Nationals fans. Not only did his grand slam against the Los Angeles Dodgers propel the Nats past the first round of the playoffs for the first time in Washington Nationals history, his hot hitting helped sink the St. Louis Cardinals in the next round.
After capturing the MVP of the NLCS, his two-run, go ahead, home run in Game 7 of the World Series pushed the Nationals to a victory over the Houston Astros.
Aside from these exploits, Kendrick spurned more money and longer deals from other teams to return to the Nationals on a 1 YR/6.25M contract.
As much as I love Howie Kendrick, his pending free agency will be looked at as a “what have you done for me lately” situation.
Kendrick is 37 years-old and has been slowed by injuries recently. He has been hampered by hamstring issues all season. In the 25 games he has participated in, just six have been of the non-designated hitter variety.
The Nationals can’t enter 2021 with Howie Kendrick as the main DH, they need someone with more power. Kendrick is versatile, though the wear and tear on his legs leaves him as a defensive liability outside of first base.
My guess is Kendrick will sign a one year contract somewhere, just won’t be in The District of Columbia.
Kurt Suzuki
Kurt Suzuki has done two tours with the team and I do not think he will be back for a third.
Originally acquired by the Washington Nationals for the stretch run 2012, Suzuki was brought back on a team friendly 2 YR/$10M deal prior to the 2019 season. Zuk, as he is affectionately known, earned his keep by hitting .264 with 17 home runs.
He had a bum shoulder towards the end of the regular season which caused him to lose playing time to Yan Gomes in the postseason. His 3-30 hitting performance in the playoffs was most likely a result of the injury as well.
Suzuki will also be 37 years-old entering next season, and what makes him more likely to return to the Nationals than Kendrick, is the position he plays.
His production this year has been down, and his defense has always been awful. Last year he threw out just 10% of attempted base stealers. This year, just 13%.
He is a veteran catcher though, and knows the Nationals pitchers. For this reason I could see him being brought back on a one-year contract to share time with Yan Gomes, who will have one year remaining on his deal as well.
Some people are clamoring for J.T. Realmuto to be signed. I don’t think the Nationals do this. If they do shell out some money, they will be outbid. They have a duo of catchers in Tres Barrera and Raudy Read, who could conceivably play the role of backup to Gomes next year.
Who was the last home grown catcher, brought through the Nationals system, to handle the majority of the catching duties?
That’s why there is even a slim chance Suzuki is back.
Asdrubal Cabrera
The Washington Nationals have traded for Asdrubal Cabrera (2014, trade deadline), signed him after he was released mid-season (last season), and signed him in the off-season (prior to this season).
Brought in last year to back up Brian Dozier, Cabrera hit .323 and drove in 40 runs in 38 games to end the regular season, effectively stealing the job away from Dozier.
Cabrera played in every game of the World Series, hitting a modest .286 while driving in three runs. The Nationals brought him back this year on a 1 YR/2.5M contract, hoping he would provide depth for the infield.
He’s done a lot more. He began the season as the hottest hitter. He’s done most of his work from the cleanup spot. He’s second on the team in triples, and third in home runs. He’s filled in at first base to cover the injuries of Howie Kendrick, and filled in at third base to cover the demotion of Carter Kieboom.
He has slumped to a .234 batting average recently, though is still providing good defense and can play second base if needed as well.
Entering next season Cabrera will be 35 years-old. General manager Mike Rizzo loves versatile, utility men, and unless he picks up the option on Brock Holt, Cabrera could be brought back as a bench guy. He’s a good clubhouse guy, he can still hit, and he plays multiple positions. They can’t pencil him in as a regular like they have done this year, though you’ll be hard pressed to find a more effective, cost efficient backup, with the resume Cabrera has.
For these reasons I wouldn’t be surprised to see him back in a Nationals uniform next year.
Ryan Zimmerman
Ryan Zimmerman will undoubtably be back with the Washington Nationals next year. The face of the franchise since day one, signed a 1 YR/$2M deal before the season to return for what many thought was his farewell tour with the team.
Zimmerman made clear if he didn’t sign with the Nationals prior to this year, he wouldn’t sign at all. When the pandemic hit, he decided to opt out of the year.
If baseball is back to normal come next March, there has to be a 100% chance Zimmerman is brought back into the fold. The 15-year veteran turns 36-years old this month and needs to be given the opportunity to go out on his terms.
Ryan Zimmerman has meant so much to the franchise, the only one he has known during his career. Not bringing him back would be a public relations nightmare.
The Nationals would be wise to offer him the same contract they did this year and let him say goodbye to a city who has embraced him since day one.
Zimmerman can be a bat off the bench, occasionally playing first base and designated hitter (if the National League adopts the rule), and ride off into the sunset when the season is over.
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