JANUARY 28: This deal is now official.
JANUARY 24: The Nationals have reached a one-year, $2MM guarantee with first baseman Ryan Zimmerman, pending a physical, Barry Svrluga of the Washington Post reports. The deal can max out at $5MM with performance bonuses, and it includes a full no-trade clause. Zimmerman’s a client of CAA Sports.
It’s no surprise reigning world champion Washington’s bringing back Zimmerman, aka Mr. National and the first player the franchise chose after moving from Montreal. General manager Mike Rizzo and Zimmerman suggested on multiple occasions in recent months that agreeing to a new contract was a formality.
The fourth overall pick in the 2005 draft, Zimmerman began to establish himself as one of the majors’ premier third basemen in 2006. He remained a highly valuable player at the position through 2013, but injuries and an overall decline have cut him down in recent years and forced a position change.
The 35-year-old Zimmerman transitioned to first base on a full-time basis in 2014, and he posted excellent numbers as recently as 2017. Zimmerman remained effective in the ensuing season, but he struggled to produce during an injury-limited 2019. He slashed a less-than-stellar .257/.321/.415 with six home runs in 190 plate appearances, but the right-handed hitter abused lefty pitchers (as he has done throughout his career) and was one of the Nats’ many playoff heroes in the fall. Zimmerman’s three-run homer against the Dodgers in Game 4 of the NLDS will always count as one of the greatest moments in franchise history. He also smacked a solo dinger versus the Astros in the Nats’ one-run victory in Game 1 of the World Series.
The Zimmerman agreement is the latest in what has been a busy offseason for the Nationals. The club lost Anthony Rendon in free agency, and he’ll be extremely difficult to replace, but in addition to keeping Zimmerman, it has re-signed Stephen Strasburg, Howie Kendrick, Yan Gomes, Daniel Hudson and Asdrubal Cabrera. The team has also picked up outside free agents in Will Harris, Starlin Castro and Eric Thames. Zimmerman, Kendrick and the lefty-hitting Thames figure to get the lion’s share of playing time at first for the Nats in 2020.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Yes!! They gone be dope dis year boi
Agreed. Hopefully it’s a 10 year deal.
Ahhh dea “fam”! Dis deeeel gonna be LIT yo! I’m feeling 1 year 29 millions! Nah mean?
better hope you dont miss Rendon too much, or that Stras stays healthy.
Headline:
Rendon Has Flown; Nats go Keiboom!
This.
Seems like a “thanks for your help over the years and in the playoffs” contract
It is. This will probably be Zimmerman’s farewell tour, and at $2M it’s hard to argue against.
Im sure it’s a 3 or 4 mil and prob a retirement tour….does the personal service when he retires contract from his last contract still apply?
Yes…once he retires. Most likely after this season…maybe after 2021 if he signs another one year deal (which I don’t see happening)
He Could easily transition to a player coach role
DFTT! lol
I hope to see him with the nats forever, in whatever role he wants.
What if he’s 50 and terrible but wants to continue as the starting 1B and SP. Do you hope for that?
Fantastic news. This guy IS the Nats. Happy for him and the team.
Nationals continue to assemble their 50 man roster.
Unfortunately, it’s looking like a 50 year old roster.
Now that’s funny..
What is up Papa Bueno? I was wondering where everybody went
LMAO
It almost seems that they are assembling a 50 man roster, with 3 guys who will primarily be playing first base, Thames, Kendrick and now Ryan Zimmerman….
Kendrick will get more time at second as well. He will be Castros primary backup Thames and Kendrick will both get 400-500ABs. Zimmerman will get playing time when he is 100%.. With that in mind, I would bet he will get 300-400 ABs.
Who ever starts you have two solid pinch hitters coming off the bench capable of staying in the game and contributing
Someone will get hurt and the IF depth is needed.
I was in the area when he first came up. Few remember that he was the Matt Chapman of his day; I thought the glove was the best since Brooks Robby. And he hit. And he played the game at 100 % every day, even when the Nats stunk.
Nice move by Rizzo and company. Still gotta do some of these things no matter what the spreadsheet says.
One GG in his career. Eric Chavez, he was not.
He wasn’t Eric Chavez good, but had a 7.3 dWAR from 2006 to 2013, and 60 DRS from 2007 to 2010.
He also had a severe case of the yips. His 3rd base was always an adventure
Matt Chapman has a 7.9 dWAR already in his three years in the league. Probably not really comparable.
After he hurt his shoulder. Not during the years he just listed.
That was because the team begged Adam LaRoche to come back and with first base occupied and nowhere else Adam LaRoche can play there was nowhere to put Zimmerman when he had problems throwing after having arm surgery Ryan was making too much money to bench he had to play through it and ruined his throwing arm
No, but to say he wasn’t a good fielder in his heyday because he had 1 GG is a it shortsighted.
@tropicoflungcancertropicoflungcancer
Thank Goodness he’s not Eric Chavez. He was & is exactly who we needed him to be
Crazy to see him play another year. Maybe it’s his farewell tour before retirement. Clearly a guy that will come off the bench for the Nationals to keep him healthy during his final season. Most players in the HOF has at least 15 years of service time. This year may be his 13th. I think he was in the minors for 2 years.
There’s no way he’s going into the hall. He’s a Nationals legend for sure but if Scott Rolen is struggling to get in then Zimmerman has zero chance.
He came up to the majors the September he was drafted 2005. Played 20 games that season with the big club.
Zimm 2005
58ABs 23H (10-2B) 6R 6RBIs .397/.419/.569
14 full years of service time, 67 games in the minors over a few months.
Definitely wrong. He was drafted in 2005 out of UVA and was with Washington by September of that same year and looked fantastic. Kudos to this guy for playing in every season the Nats have ever played.
Just a matter of time
CNichols there are definitely worse players that have gotten into the Hall. Look at Bill Mazeroski for Pittsburgh Pirates. Not the best hitter in the Hall but played fairly good defense. Or look at Berry Larkin of the St Louis Cardinals. More known for his defense than offense. Zimmerman did win a gold glove and roughly 300 hits from 2k. Plus a WS ring helps his cause. Only thing that would make it hard for Zimmerman to be elected into the Hall is that steroid scandal. Not saying he is a perfect guy to win the hall of fame. Other guys like Dave Parker are left out of the Hall. I guess it’s who you influenced during your playing career and after. I feel Zimmerman did plenty of contributions on and off the field for the city of Washington.
Uhhh maybe you’re thinking of Ozzie Smith. BARRY LARKIN played for the reds and was both above average with the glove as well as the bat. Very similar offensively to Jeter.
To say that he is a “worse player “ to make the hall is also absurd. Top 5-10 shortstop of all time.
I love Zimm but there is no way he gets into the Hall.
He is about to full healthy years short of the Hall me thinks
Barry Larkin was a beast. Incredible player for the Reds. Bat like Jeter but defense worthy of a gold glove.
Why damning Maz with faint praise? Played “fairly good” defense? Defensive GOAT at the keystone is more like it.
Shannon Wolfe you have no clue what you’re talking about, maybe try talking about golf instead?
The full no trade clause makes the deal bad to me. Lol I mean, you’re kinda lucky to be offered any contract to begin with… then you get picky ? Idk
Might have sacrificed some pay for that clause. The Nationals were very unlikely to trade him regardless so prob wasn’t a big issue
The guy is from VA, and spent his whole career with Washington. I’m not surprised he isn’t too keen on moving to a new city halfway through what will probably be the last season of his career
In this case the no trade clause makes perfect sense. The whole point here is he is a National for life
he has a 5-year personal contract with the Nats after he retires… for $2mil a year, so it’s kind of the same thing, but he bats…
Why is the NTC necessary? He has 10 and 5 rights to veto any trade.
He made it very clear he wasn’t going to play, if not for the Nats. He just wants to ensure that, which I think is very cool for both. Lifetime organizational guy, good player, fan favorite – basically the antithesis of Bryce Harper. I say it’s a win for both sides – good job.
Like to see franchise icons stay with that franchise. But, man, would a World Series championship be a great way to go out.
why yes, it would… back-to-back!…
(and please take care of Tony Two-Bags…)
Not a fan of this signing. Zimmermann is a great franchise icon but he’s not worth the roster spot.
I have to disagree.
I believe you are being influenced by the proximity of Zimmerman’s injury year. His production when healthy (sans April) has been good but streaky over his career. This has made it seem that there is too often a “concern” about Zimmerman. But as far as a roster spot for a platoon player, he is definitely worth it…
DFTT people have been giving up on Zimmerman for years now, yet he always comes back, carries the team and proves them wrong
How ya been Jammy? it’s been a while.
Nice deal for a fan favorite, it’s good to see a player who wants to spend his whole career with one organization in this FA crazy era, where most players AND teams show no loyalty to each other. Has a nice throwback feel.
Zim has no shot at the HOF short of pounding out around 1300 more hits. However you need taken to task about Zim and steroids… Because there has never been any such accusation. There was a hit piece from a Middle Eastern-based media corporation claiming he had used HGH. The report was based on a rumor that came from a lab intern (who later recanted). Zim’s defamation suit is now going into it’s 4tg year with said Middle Eastern media corp filing endless motions to delay.
They had to resign Zim. I have a Nats cup with his pic on it.
Washington playing with a full house. If Kieboom performs they are still dangerous.
Trea Turner obviously has shortstop nailed down, but then there are six guys for the other three positions:
Eric Thames
Ryan Zimmerman
Starlin Castro
Howie Kendrick
Asdrubel Cabrera
Carter Kieboom
I get what Zimmerman means to the franchise, but couldn’t Kendrick fill that roll as the right-side of the 1B platoon, while also playing 2B? Why re-sign Cabrera AND bring in Castro, when Kieboom is (hopefully) ready to go?
It’s a crowded infield with a lot of redundancy and reliance on the old guys continuing to perform. Although I will give them credit: they were able to double up at all three positions for less than what Josh Donaldson is making.
Someone will definitely get hurt. Depth helps. Castro will start 150 at 2B. If Keiboom pops then Cabrera and Kendrick are low cost backups.
I don’t see the Zimmerman at shortstop, the team begging Adam LaRoche who was married to first base and couldn’t play anywhere else, to come back came with a price, with nowhere to put Zimmerman coming off shoulder surgery and making too much money to put on the bench he had to keep playing Third and ruined his throwing arm.
Zimmerman is getting into the HoF right after Vernon Wells and Dante Bichette get in.
Awesome Nats looking out to a franchise player. Loyalty isn’t seen often these days