Former Washington Nationals Star Thrived Before Hitting Free Agency
The Washington Nationals are in the middle of a rebuild after years of success, as a lot of their star players were either traded or left in free agency.
In 2019, the Nationals hit their peak, as they won the World Series, which was the first time in the history of the franchise. Washington had a very talented roster, which included players like Stephen Strasburg, Juan Soto, Max Scherzer, and Trea Turner.
While there were some big names on the team, it was Anthony Rendon who really stood out in 2019. In 2019, Rendon had a career-year, as he totaled a .319 batting average, 34 home runs, and 126 RBIs.
The great season for Rendon came in a contract year, and he was able to capitalize in free agency. Tim Kelly of Bleacher Report recently highlighted Rendon’s career-year as one of the best years.
“There's something to be said for having such an excellent contract year that it gets teams—or at least one team—to overlook the fact that you made clear for much of your career that you don't love baseball and would be a risky player to make a long-term investment in.”
“Anthony Rendon did that for the Washington Nationals in 2019, as he hit .319 with a 1.010 OPS for the eventual World Champions. He led the NL with 44 doubles, and all of baseball with 126 RBI.”
Rendon winning the World Series and having his best year with Washington resulted in him getting a massive contract with the Los Angeles Angels. Rendon signed a seven-year, $245 million contract with the Angels, which included a full no-trade clause.
The contract given to Rendon has been one of the worst in recent memory. In five years with the Angels, Rendon is batting just .243 with 22 home runs. When the Angels signed Rendon, he was supposed to help compliment Mike Trout and turn the Angels into a powerhouse. However, that hasn’t been the case.
For the Nationals, they really lucked out not giving Rendon a new contract, as that could have crippled the franchise. Rendon has certainly been a player that has capitalized on a career-year, which is an unfortunate thing for the Angels.
With a few years left on his contract, Rendon likely won’t get much better than what we’ve seen from him in recent years. While Rendon might not be liked in Los Angeles, he will be remembered fondly for his 2019 season with the Nationals.
NICK ZIEGLER