After capturing a World Series title at age 35, in the same season his six-year, $100MM contract came to a close, Ryan Zimmerman could’ve opted to hang up his cleats in storybook fashion had he so wished. But the two-time All-Star clearly felt he had more left to experience in the game and ultimately took a sizable pay cut to return to the Nationals on a one-year, $2MM deal this winter. With the season on hold indefinitely, Zimmerman acknowledges within a self-penned guest piece for the Associated Press that it’s been hard not to think about life after baseball, but he indicated that as things stand, he hopes to continue playing not only in 2020 but perhaps beyond.
“If it turns out there isn’t a 2020 season, and I had to decide right now about 2021, I would say: Yes, I definitely would plan on playing next year,” Zimmerman writes. The 15-year Nationals veteran adds that he had no interest in signing anywhere but back with the Nationals this winter and only plans to sign one-year deals from this point forth, so as to assess how his body holds up on a year-to-year basis. Of course, based on his age and level of play in 2019, that was all that was reasonable to expect anyhow.
Zimmerman spent much of this past season on the injured list due to plantar fasciitis, and when he was healthy enough to take the field, he wasn’t particularly productive. The 2019 season marked just the second time in his excellent career that he rated below league average at the plate, by measure of wRC+ (89) and OPS+ (86). Through 190 plate appearances, Zimmerman slashed a .257/.321/.415 with six long balls and nine doubles.
Zimmerman’s balky foot quite likely impacted his performance in virtually all aspects of the game, and it should be pointed out that from 2017-18, he turned in a quite-productive .289/.350/.542 batting line. However, staying on the field has also become increasingly difficult for Zimmerman as he’s played into his mid-30s. Dating back to the 2014 campaign, he’s averaged just 92 games and 364 plate appearances per year while missing time due to to oblique, wrist, hamstring and rib cage issues in addition to three separate IL stints for plantar fasciitis.
Presently, it appears the downtime has done Zimmerman some good. He writes that he feels “unbelievable” having been able to work out without grinding through the rigors of a 162-game schedule, although he makes clear that he’s eager to return to the field and experience the feeling of defending a World Series title for the first time. It seems nearly impossible to envision Zimmerman playing anywhere else, and given that the team values him beyond his on-field contributions, it’s not tough to see him suiting up for a few more years if he feels up to the challenge.
Zimmerman has had a great career, but once the Nats don’t need him he should retire
We don’t need you but you still comment.
Maybe he should just play until he feels he’s done.
Thank you MLBTradeRumors comment police
thats awesome
What exactly do you think he means when he says he has no interest in playing anywhere else and is just going to feel it out a year at a time?
I don’t see him as someone who would overstay his welcome. If he can’t hack it he would be the first to shut it down. With that said, he is the Nationals and should be allowed one year deals until he hangs it up.
He should of quit 2 years ago. He’s terrible
Two years ago he hit .303/.358/.573 with 36 home runs. Why would he retire then?
No he shouldn’t of
After years and years of drafting Zimmy I would go into my fantasy drafts with 3 simple goals-
1- Get good value
2- Invest in upper tier Sps
3- Dont draft Ryan Zimmerman
I could never kick #3
This dude had one of the sweetest right handed swings in the game- Injs robbed him, if you watched him closely you always were very optimistic that next season was the one….great career altogether; very very happy he got knighted last year for the first time!
Man, Zim’s swing is amazing and simple. He gets so hot when his leg kick’s working right. I’ve seen him at the local Safeway a few times, gotta remember to keep his baseball card in my wallet. He should have whatever job he wants in the organization for as long as he wants it.
When he was drafted Zimm was billed as the “Face of the franchise” That moniker has been applied to many players over the years, but has not stuck through the career of most players for a variety of reasons. In the few cases where it has been with the player his whole career it is not the on field performance that keeps the validity of the designation, though that must be there to some extent too. It is the behavior and personal gravitas of the player and his effect on his teammates organization and the community.
The teammate part is the obvious one. Though players are tight lipped about internal matters they will also let you know how they feel when a player is not behaving in te interest of the team. we have all seen many thinly veiled interviews or anonymous quotes that have disparaged selfish players over the years.
The organization tends to be a bit more tight lipped than the players. The players police themselves in this sport [usually] while the owners have more of a business interest and that requires a bit more discretion for a variety of reasons.. But it is the community involvement and perception that is most important to maintaining the “Face of the Franchise” moniker. In all three of these Ryan has shown himself to be one of the best. But it is the community involvement that I believe he shines the brightest…
And isn’t that the best use of your face?
And yes I know it’s a long comment LOL