Two of the bigger-name free agents the Washington Nationals lost this winter were longtime catcher Wilson Ramos and rental closer Mark Melancon. Each departed from Washington on good terms but the circumstances, specifically dollars and an injury, played large roles in those decisions.
The pair could always make the Nationals pay for not inviting them back. Based on recent free agent decisions made by general manager Mike Rizzo, the Nationals were probably wise to let them go.
The Nationals are sans championship, but still making great decisions when it comes to who they do and do not re-sign. For the most part, it has been the latter. The Nationals have focused on building their rosters with new players. Over the last few years, they have made big splashes in free agency instead of inviting their players back for a few more.
Two recent examples of this are outfielder Denard Span and pitcher Jordan Zimmermann. They left after the 2015 season and landed hefty contracts elsewhere.
Span now plays for the San Francisco Giants where Melancon will join him this year. The Giants agreed to a three-year deal worth $27 million with an option for a fourth year. It was already a questionable deal at the time given his recent health problems.
In his first year with the Giants, Span slashed .266/.331/.381. Although he hit a career-high 11 home runs, Span was severely lacking in other categories. Most notably, he stole only 12 bases when the Giants wanted him to swipe a lot more.
Zimmermann may have had an even rougher 2016 season. He did not come close to matching his huge salary paid out by the Detroit Tigers. Injuries limited him to only 18 starts and a relief appearance. The result was a 9-7 record and 4.87 earned run average — easily the worst year since becoming a full-time starter.
Dating back a little further, the Nationals moved on from first baseman Adam LaRoche just in time. After some really great seasons in Washington, LaRoche joined the Chicago White Sox in 2015.
LaRoche hit only .207/.293/.340 with 12 home runs while with the White Sox. He retired the following spring amidst the controversy of his son’s presence in the locker room. As many speculate, his poor performance the year prior also likely contributed.
Along with letting the right ones go, the Nationals have not signed anyone new to bad contracts. Credit goes to Rizzo, the scouting department, and the Nationals’ culture of moving on when the time comes.
Of course, Span and Zimmermann still have a chance to turn things around in their second season away from Washington. Ramos and Melancon can do the same in 2017.
In the meantime, Rizzo is batting nearly 1.000 when it comes free agent decisions.
Tim Boyle is a Staff Writer for Outside Pitch MLB covering the Washington Nationals. Follow Tim on Twitter.
The post GM Mike Rizzo knows when to let Washington Nationals free agents leave appeared first on OutsidePitchMLB.
