It was not a surprise that the Washington Nationals designated Jeremy Guthrie for assignment after his outing on April 8th. Nor was it a surprise that he elected free agency. Now, a month after that disastrous performance, Guthrie has reflected on what went wrong.
It was meant to be the perfect ending to Jeremy Guthrie’s career. He had spent the 2016 campaign in the minors after being released by the Kansas City Royals in 2015, and signed a minor league contract with the Washington Nationals to start the 2017 season. Guthrie pitched well in Spring Training, posting a 2.41 ERA and striking out 15 batters in 18.2 innings of work. That production was enough to land him the Nationals fifth starter role out of Spring Training, as he would make that start on his 38th birthday.
Instead of a happy birthday, Guthrie’s start was a disaster. He allowed ten runs on six hits and four walks, recording just two outs. It was a record setting appearance, just not in the way that Guthrie would have wanted. He was, unsurprisingly, designated for assignment, and elected free agency.
Although it was expected that he would look for another opportunity to latch on to a team, Guthrie says that is not the case. While he has not said he is retiring, Guthrie did state that he is not looking for opportunities to pitch at this point in time. In fact, he had quite a few candid statements in his interview with Mark Zuckerman at MASNsports.com, as he was brutally honest in his self-assessment.
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If this is, indeed, Guthrie’s final appearance on the mound, it is unfortunate that he will be remembered for his historic implosion. A solid back of the rotation starter, he emerged as a viable option for the Kansas City Royals. Guthrie earned manger Ned Yost‘s trust, and was even handed the ball for Game Seven of the 2014 World Series.
Overall, his career numbers appear rather pedestrian. He has a 91-109 record, posting a 4.42 ERA and a 1.344 WHiP. However, he was far more than his statistics. Guthrie, who was fluent in Spanish after spending two years in Spain on a Mormon retreat, was a mentor and translator for his Latino teammates. He was a consummate veteran, willing to accept any role needed to help his teams win. In quite a few ways, Guthrie was an underrated part of the Royals turnaround, as he was a solid veteran who could help the young team develop.
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Jeremy Guthrie was far more than his last disastrous start with the Washington Nationals. Hopefully, he gets another chance, and can erase that image from his memory.