Five Players Who You Forgot Played For The Nationals
The Nationals have had many memorable and easily forgettable players over the years. Here are a few who you know but forgot that they played in DC.
There are many players who play for a team for a very short time and they are often forgotten about. Most of the time they are veterans who were traded midseason or signed a one-year deal to finish off their careers. However it happens, it's always fun to look back and see players in a jersey that seems so far off from what you're used to seeing. Here are five former Nats that you forgot were former Nats.
Alex Cora
Yes, Alex Cora played for the Nationals. In early 2011 a 35 year-old Alex Cora signed a one year deal with the Washington Nationals. Cora had signed for $900,000 and put together a paltry .224 average with a .562 OPS with no home runs in 172 at-bats. The following year Cora would sign with the Cardinals before being released at the end of spring training. Cora is currently the manager of the Boston Red Sox after being involved with the 2017 Astros cheating scandal as their bench coach. He was hilariously let go for a year by the Red Sox when these revelations came to be before being brought back to manage one year later.
Brad Lidge
Former Astros and Phillies star closer and current podcaster Brad Lidge was once a Nat. Coming off a shortned injury plagued season, the Nationals hoped that he could bolster their bullpen. Lidge did the opposite and pitched to the tune of a 9.64 ERA and was released in June. Lidge never signed with another team again.
Matt Stairs
Pinch hit legend Matt Stairs played for the Nationals in 2011 at the ripe age of 43. It was ironic for Stairs since he started his career in Montreal in 1992. After two seasons in Montreal he was sold to a team in Japan before signing back with Expos and being promptly traded to Boston. Nearly 20 years later he was back with the same franchise he started with signing a 1-year deal for $850,000. Stairs only batted .154 and was mainly limited to pinch hitting appearences. He hit no home runs but is the all time leader in pinch hit home runs with 23.
Aaron Boone
Yankees playoff hero and current manager Aaron Boone played for Washington in 2008. He batted .241 with 6 home runs before finishing his career with the Reds the following season. Boone is currently on the hot seat as the manager of an underachieving 2023 New York Yankees but his walkoff homer against the Boston Red Sox will endear him to Yankees fans forever.
Dan Uggla
Marlins star Dan Uggla played for the Nationals for his final season in 2015. In 67 games Uggla batted .183. One cool fact about Dan Uggla is that since he played for the Giants in 2014 he received a World Series ring despite the fact that he only played in 4 games for them that season and wasn't even employeed by the team for a full month.
Honorable mention:
Fun fact, Pete Rose also played for the Nationals franchise when they were the Expos in 1984. Rose batted .286 in 121 games.
Even though it's cool to see once star players finish out their careers on your favorite team, you can't help but notice why they are on their way out of the league. These stat lines were pretty atrocious but it gives us fans a fun story to share with our friends and even our kids one day.