The Washington Nationals signed Max Scherzer to a blockbuster deal this offseason and said they would use a "super rotation" consisting of Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmermann, Doug Fister and Gio Gonzalez in 2015. Will that change?
Zimmermann, who is entering the final year of his contract with the team, told Washington he was willing to negotiate a new deal before the season started and would not continue contract talks beyond Opening Day. The two sides have yet to agree just nine days before their home opener against the New York Mets.
"I'm just not going to talk during the season," Zimmermann reiterated to Mark Zuckerman of CSN Washington on Friday. "If something gets done before then - which is probably pretty rare right now - then it gets done. But it's not looking good."
Although Zimmermann was the rotation's best arm in 2014, having compiled a 14-5 record with a 2.66 ERA, 1.072 WHIP and 182 strikeouts in 32 starts (199 2/3 innings), the Nationals have tremendous depth with their starting pitching. Is it possible the Nats trade Zimmermann, who is owed $16.5 million in 2015, at some point in the season to get value for him before he hits the free agent market?
Tanner Roark will likely start the season in the bullpen because of the logjam in the rotation, but he showed last season he's more than capable of being a starter after posting a 15-10 record with a 2.85 ERA and 1.092 WHIP in 31 starts (198 2/3 innings). Additionally, the team has prospects Lucas Giolito and A.J. Cole, both of whom aren't too far off from their major league debuts.
There are teams out there who could use Zimmermann right now, such as the Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, Texas Rangers and others, but the trade market on the right-hander has been quiet since the team said they planned on keeping him and were interested in a contract extension.
Earlier in the offseason general manager Mike Rizzo said he was open to trading Zimmermann if it made "baseball sense." Rizzo is stuck in a bit of a pickle here because keeping the 28-year-old could be a best-case or worst-case scenario. On one hand, Zimmermann in the rotation maximizes their chances of winning a World Series. However, if they keep Zimmermann for the entire season and don't win a World Series, he'll likely walk in free agency and the Nats would have gotten no value in return for one of the game's top starters.
We'll see how the season unfolds for Washington so we can get a better idea of what their plan with Zimmermann is.
