Veterans Jordan Zimmermann and Ian Desmond are in the final year of their contracts with the Washington Nationals after all parties failed to reach agreements on extensions during the offseason. What will happen next?
Zimmermann is one of the top starters in the MLB and Desmond is one of the top shortstops. The Nats reportedly made "multiple offers" to Zimmermann this offseason (all of which were rejected) and did not continue to negotiate with Desmond after the 29-year-old turned down a seven-year, $107 million extension prior to the 2014 season.
The rumors are surely going to swirl up until the trade deadline and they can't be avoided because general manager Mike Rizzo said earlier in the offseason that he would listen to offers for Zimmermann and Desmond and strike a deal if it made "baseball sense." We saw three top pitchers get dealt before the deadline last season when the Oakland Athletics acquired Jon Lester from the Red Sox and Jeff Samardzija from the Cubs and the Tampa Bay Rays shipped David Price to the Detroit Tigers.
There weren't any deals made for perennial shortstops, but given the dearth of such talent in the MLB, a number of teams could be calling Washington throughout the season.
However, neither star ruled out leaving the Nationals at season's end when they spoke to James Wagner of the Washington Post.
"I've considered this place some place I want to stay but it's got to be right," Zimmermann said. ". . . I've learned a lot [about this process]. I understand it's a business and anything can happen. Whatever happens is going to happen for a reason."
"I'm really focused on making sure I don't take anything for granted as far as relationships, whether it be with the groundskeepers or people that work here on the minor league side," Desmond added. "Just old friends. I want to make sure that I let them know that I appreciate them and I wouldn't be here without them, whoever they are. I'm just trying to enjoy it, not necessarily thinking that I'll be here or won't be here, but I want to make sure everyone knows how I feel about what they've done for me. I think I've done as good as I can about letting everybody know that I'm thankful."
It's a tough call because Zimmermann, 28, and Desmond, 29, will be entering the offseason with the opportunity to earn the biggest contracts of their careers. On the other hand, both spent their entire careers with the organization and are close with management and some of their teammates.
While it's seemingly difficult for the players, it's also difficult for the Nationals. Rizzo would certainly love to keep Zimmermann and Desmond on board, but it just might not be realistic with their financial demands, especially since the team just signed Max Scherzer to a $210 million deal, still have Jayson Werth and Ryan Zimmerman under big contracts, and eventually need to take care of stars Bryce Harper and Anthony Rendon.
So what will the Nationals do?
They can take a gamble and keep Zimmermann and Desmond for the entire season and hope they win the World Series, which would fulfill the organization's ultimate goal and also give them the opportunity to convince both stars to stay, perhaps ensuring them both worthwhile annual salaries and success for years to come.
Or they can trade one or both of them (depending on how the season progresses) and likely get a lot of young value in return. It's clear Washington is prepared to move on without them, given the talent they've accumulated in their farm system. Prospect starters Lucas Giolito and A.J. Cole could hit the majors soon and fill the potential void left by Zimmermann. Tanner Roark is also hanging out in the bullpen until one of the starters gets injured or traded. Behind Desmond, the Nationals have prospects Wilmer Difo and Trea Turner (acquired from the Padres this offseason) as well as Yunel Escobar, who they swapped reliever Tyler Clippard for.
Any number of scenarios is a possibility, but right now Zimmermann and Desmond are focused on winning a World Series, and the team's front office likely is too.
