“Swing and a miss, swing and a miss, swing and a miss, and a World Series Curly W is in the books.” The Nats season was over, and one that will live forever in the hearts of Nationals fans. After a 19-31 start to the season, the Nationals pulled an upset over the 2017 Champion Houston Astros. With the young stars of Juan Soto and Victor Robles, and the veteran combination of Stephen Strasburg and Max Scherzer, the Nationals claimed their first World Series title. After a season from pain to pennant, the future of the Nats is uncertain, with many key players unclear if they will return to DC.
On the day of the parade, Stephen Strasburg declined his player option out of a 7 year, $175 million contract. On November 4, Anthony Rendon became a free agent. Ryan Zimmerman, Brian Dozier, Howie Kendrick, the list continues for the Nationals free agents. All these factors haunt the future for the Nats.
Right now, the most important thing for the Nats is to sign MVP candidate Anthony Rendon or find his replacement. With Anthony Rendon having a WAR (Wins Above Replacement) of 6.3, the value of him to the team is almost insurmountable. Rendon finished third in MVP voting, behind Cody Bellinger and Christian Yelich.
Finally, many key bench players from the Nats are facing free agency. Players like Brian Dozier, Matt Adams, and Gerardo Parra, who were key to the success of the Nationals. Gerardo Parra, came to the Nationals when they were in their biggest slump. One day, he decided to change his walkup song to “Baby Shark”. This change sparked the Nationals, sending them on a winning streak that would send them to the playoffs.
Even though the future for the Nationals is scary, D.C. fans will celebrate this year forever. And you never know, the Capitals could bring home another Stanley Cup this year.
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