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Washington Nationals: 3 best current contracts, ranked

By James Simmons

WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 22: Max Scherzer #31 of the Washington Nationals delivers a pitch in the first inning during the spring training game against the Houston Astros at FITTEAM Ballpark of the Palm Beaches on February 22, 2020 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)
WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 22: Max Scherzer #31 of the Washington Nationals delivers a pitch in the first inning during the spring training game against the Houston Astros at FITTEAM Ballpark of the Palm Beaches on February 22, 2020 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images) /
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Washington Nationals ace Max Scherzer is definitely fulfilling the terms of his contract.
(Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images) /

The Washington Nationals have managed to stay below the luxury tax threshold for a second straight year. Let’s take a look at their current payroll status and rank the best contracts of the 2020 team.

The Lerner Ownership Group first showed they would spend money as in the offseason of 2011 when they shelled out $126M over seven years for the services of Jayson Werth. This may not have been the best use of these funds, but it showed the Washington Nationals were willing to sit at the big boy table when it came to handing out large contracts.

General Manager Mike Rizzo was able to keep the Washington Nationals team payroll under the luxury tax threshold in 2019 while having enough talent to win the World Series. Rizzo has long been applauded for managing a budget while getting the most bang for his buck in trade value.

Where the occasional bad decision arises, like signing Trevor Rosenthal to a one-year deal with club option immediately following his Tommy John surgery, the bad contracts are few and far between.

The Nationals have $16M wiggle room going into this season allowing them to make some in-season transactions if necessary. They have allowed themselves this opportunity by having great contracts on the books.

Here are the THREE best contracts for the Washington Nationals this season.

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