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District On Deck

Nationals: 7 role players to be thankful for since 2005

By James Simmons

Dmitri Young #21 of the Washington Nationals celebrates a double during their MLB game against the Houston Astros on July 17, 2007 at RFK Stadium in Washington D.C. The Astros won 4-2. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
Dmitri Young #21 of the Washington Nationals celebrates a double during their MLB game against the Houston Astros on July 17, 2007 at RFK Stadium in Washington D.C. The Astros won 4-2. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /
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Here's to hoping Aaron Barrett is a lifer for the Washington Nationals.
Aaron Barrett #32 of the Washington Nationals delivers a pitch against the Houston Astros in the fourth inning of a Grapefruit League spring training game at FITTEAM Ballpark of The Palm Beaches on February 23, 2020 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /

Aaron Barrett

I was very pleased to see Aaron Barrett had signed a minor league contract to return to the Washington Nationals for the 2021 season. No, I don’t believe he’ll be a difference maker coming out of the bullpen for the Nats this year. I’m just glad to have this guy as a part of the organization I cheer for.

You may know Barrett from his emotional return to the big leagues following three-plus seasons out of it as he was rehabbing a couple gruesome arm injuries. His work in 2019 consisted of 2.1 innings, though regardless of how he fared, he was back. Barrett made a cameo mid-September of 2020 as well.

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Prior to suffering the injuries and having Tommy John surgery, Barrett was a force out of the bullpen on the 2014 division winning team. He was 3-0 with a 2.66 earned run average and struck out 49 batters in just over 40 innings pitched.

Barrett worked his way into the hearts of Nationals fans first with his pitching, then with his determination. He had the storied history, a guy drafted four times by four different teams, who worked his way to the majors. Two years into his career it was all taken from him and he was left wondering if he would ever make it back. He has, and I’m thankful he’s still fighting.

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