The Nationals have avoided arbitration with star third baseman Anthony Rendon, the club announced. It’ll be a $18.8MM payday for Rendon, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today (Twitter link).
Rendon had been projected to earn $17.6MM in his final season of arb eligibility. Instead, he’ll top that mark by a decent bit, landing a healthy $6.5MM raise over his 2018 salary.
Of course, this may only be a prelude to a much larger contract. There have been indications all winter long that the sides are engaged in extension talks. Yesterday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported (subscription link) that Rendon is looking for a deal on the order of the $163.5MM pact the Astros agreed to with Jose Altuve last year.
THIS is the man who the francise needs to be built around. please get him a long term deal done and make him a Nat for life.
yes sir. wish he was a Met.
I didn’t realize he was only 28. He seems like he’s been around longer than that.
Mets positioning themselves to take a run at Arenado or Rendon in 2020.
Arenado filed for $30M in arb this year (CO countered with $24M) so if the Mets want him they will really need to open the vault.
Nice gesture by the Nats to give him an extra million over the projection. Hope it pays off. Really like Rendon as a player and think it would be cool if after being overshadowed by Harper for so long he was the one who got the long term deal and everyone realized he was better all along.
its not a competition between Rendon and Harper. they are both excellent players at the top of their game. either or both of whom, the Nats have been blessed to have the services of for as long as they have. and i am sure in a perfect world, the Nats would love to have both players sport the curly W for many years to come
I would LOVE to have Arenasi on the team. If they were to sign him next year that lineup would be NASTY, espically after this year n the year after next they hardly have anybody locked in to long term deals, so CHEAP ASSES, start spending your money!!!
Who is Arenasi?
Are you calling the Nationals cheap? They have the 7th highest payroll in the MLB currently, and are still in the pursuit of Harper.
Seriously. Isn’t Mad Max making like $34m this year?
19-21:$35M annually plus his signing bonus $5M in 2015 and $15M each in 2019, 2020, 2021
legacy.baseballprospectus.com/compensation/cots/na…
I think he was referring to the Mets being cheap.