The Washington Nationals, formerly known as “a way station for the damned,” have won two National League East titles in three years. Going into 2015, the Nats return with a similar core that brought them those division titles, looking to go even deeper into October this postseason. However, with nine players set to hit free agency after the season, how are the Nats built for 2016 and beyond?
Here’s a list of when all 25 of the key players for 2015 I mentioned here will become free agents, listed with their age when they hit the market.
Players Eligible for Free Agency after 2015 Season
- Jordan Zimmermann [29]
- Doug Fister [31]
- Ian Desmond [30]
- Denard Span [31]
- Tyler Clippard [30]
- Jerry Blevins [32]
- Matt Thorton [39]
- Kevin Frandsen [33]
- Nate McLouth [34] (2016 club option)
Players Eligible for Free Agency after 2016 Season
- Drew Storen [29]
- Craig Stammen [32]
- Wilson Ramos [29]
- Stephen Strasburg [28]
- Gio Gonzalez [31] (2017 & 2018 club options)
Players Eligible for Free Agency after 2017 Season
- Jayson Werth [38]
- Jose Lobaton [33]
- Danny Espinosa [30]
Players Eligible for Free Agency after 2018 Season
- Bryce Harper [26]
- Tyler Moore [31]
- Xavier Cedeno [32]
Players Eligible for Free Agency after 2019 Season
- Ryan Zimmerman [35] (2020 club option)
- Anthony Rendon [29]
- Tanner Roark [33]
As next offseason is by far the biggest hit to their current core, Washington’s biggest concern going into 2015 has to be resigning some of these key players to long-term deals. With players such as ace Jordan Zimmermann and star shortstop Ian Desmond likely to earn max contracts in free agency, GM Mike Rizzo would be better off signing them sooner rather than later.
All stats and ages courtesy of baseball-reference.com.
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