Denard Span
Traded to Washington: November 29, 2012
Entering the 2012 off-season, the Nationals were coming off a devastating Game Five loss to the St. Louis Cardinals in the NLDS. Despite the loss, Washington had made the playoffs for the first time since moving to D.C. The future was bright and it was time to build on their success. Mike Rizzo made a splash by acquiring the speedy center fielder Denard Span from the Minnesota Twins. Span immediately took over as the leadoff hitter for Washington and quickly made his presence known.
In three seasons with the team, he hit .292, with 14 homers, 106 RBIs, an OPS of .749, and a 111 wRC+. Span also added 62 stolen bases and was a plus defender, posting two DRS, with 15 outfield assists. Span was able to add pressure from the leadoff spot thanks to his bat and speed on the basepaths. He added an extra layer to the offense that was previously missing.
Span’s peak with Washington came in 2014 when he finished 19th in MVP voting. On the season, he hit .302, with five homers, 37 RBIs, and an OPS of .771. He added 31 stolen bases in 39 attempts, helping Washington win the NL East for the first time since 2012.
After the Nationals had a disappointing 2015 season which culminated with the team missing the playoffs, Span left in free agency. While his tenure with the team was short, he left a mark in D.C.