Things may change in a few years, but for now, the Washington Nationals payroll doesn’t have any albatross contract on the books. It’s a recipe for winning and a reason why they remain atop the National League East.
The Washington Nationals payroll somehow managed to do something pretty unique. After Ryan Zimmerman’s comeback season in 2017, they don’t appear to have a single bad contract on the books. While an argument can be made that several players are overpaid, they aren’t burdened by any one deal.
Before Zimmerman’s resurgence, his deal was the lone bad deal. On any list of “Worst Contracts in Baseball,” it was his lengthy and expensive contract representing Washington. Now that he’s back to swatting baseballs, the Nationals are in a rare spot.
Against many odds, the Nationals have avoided inking anyone to any bust contracts. There’s no Barry Zito on the books. Almost all of their free agent signings have worked out perfectly.
Of course, this could change in a few years. Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg signed for really big money. Beginning in 2019, Scherzer’s contract will be a $42.1 million hit to the payroll.
Washington will deal with two more seasons of that while paying Strasburg his most ridiculous amount in 2023 when he will take home $45 million. Considering they are top three Cy Young finishers in 2017, it’s hard to label these as bad deals.
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Enny Romero fastball to my head; I could find one bad contract in the bunch. Matt Wieters’ $10.5 million owed in 2018 is easily the worst. If baseball had an amnesty option, the Nationals would greatly benefit from tossing that agreement in the trash.
Still, one year of overpaying a catcher who has played well in the past is not something to fret about. It’s an escapable deal that could actually turn into a good one depending on how he plays in 2018.
The Nationals’ short-lived period without a really bad contract on the books will not last. When Daniel Murphy, Bryce Harper, and Gio Gonzalez all see their deals end after next year, the Nationals payroll will make mistakes.
They will either re-sign them to contracts that will eventually backfire or replace at least one of them with a dud. It’s inevitable. It’s the side-effect of baseball’s free agency system.
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General manager Mike Rizzo can’t bat one-thousand in free agency. Eventually, his luck in the free agent market will run out. Someone will sign too much for too long. When it happens, this luxury ends.