Former MLB GM Predicts Washington Nationals Sign Top Outfield Free Agent
The Washington Nationals seem to be on the upswing of yet another rebuild in the history of their franchise.
Though this one was preceded by the first World Series Championship the organization has ever won, watching a team in a rebuild is never high on anyone's list of "must-dos."
This rebuild does seem to be more short-lived than those of the past, however, with many of the Nationals' young players taking big steps in their development this year, including James Wood proving that he can be a vital part of the offense in his rookie season.
The culmination of any rebuild generally comes with the signing of a big-name free agent, and that could prove to be the case for Washington as they approach their window of contention.
Former MLB General Manager Jim Bowden, now with The Athletic, predicted that the Nationals will sign that free agent as early as this winter, with that player being none other than Anthony Santander.
"The Nationals ink outfielder Anthony Santander for six years and $142 million," predicts Bowden, "landing the power bat in the first big signing of their rebuild in a deal that’s reminiscent of their past signing of Jayson Werth."
Santander would be a fantastic veteran presence that can slot in nicely to the middle of Washington's lineup and is also coming off of a career year, while still being right in the middle of his prime.
This year, Santander batted .235/.308/.506 with 44 home runs, 102 RBI, and a 134 OPS+ across 665 plate appearances in 155 games.
The veteran set new career highs in plate appearances, runs (91), triples (2), home runs, RBI, walks (58), and total bases (301), while also improving his strikeout (19.4 percent) and walk rates (8.7 percent).
The batting average may not be the best that he has ever produced, but that could be attributed to a career-low BABIP of .225, which means that regression back to the mean is coming next year.
Santander has proven that he also has the best ability, availability, as he has played in 150 or more games in each of the last three seasons, not including the postseason, which the Baltimore Orioles have made in each of the last two.
Santander would be a fantastic fit for this young club, slotting into left field with ease and providing more pop in the middle of their lineup, while breaking open the contention window in the process.
