Nationals Throw The Bank At Zimmerman; Is It Worth It?

Zimmmerman just isn't worth the 17 million a year the Nationals are willing to spend on him.

We all know the Washington Nationals have been the laughing stock of the Major Leagues even going back since their Montreal/Puerto Rico/Wherever Expos years. But ever since the construction of their new stadium in 2008 and the addition of the highly touted prospect Steven Strausberg. the Washington Nationals seem to be moving in the right direction. Keyword: seem. Though Washington has added some high profile players, the prices they've paid for them might just be too great.

So far this offseason the Nationals added Brad Lidge at a 12 million dollar a year clip, signed Edwin Jackson for 10 mil and gave their long time third baseman Ryan Zimmerman a six year/100 million dollar contract extension. That last transaction has to make you say, "wait, what?" 100 million dollars for an above average third baseman? 100 million dollars for a "contact" hitter whose only crossed the .300 boundary once is his life, only cracked the 100 RBI mark twice and has only been selected to an all-star game once? 100 million for a mediocre fielding 3rd baseman? You have got to be kidding me.

I understand that he's the Nationals finest product, groomed completely from their farm system, a solid contributor over the years. I get the whole loyalty factor. But is he really better than David Wright, whose big contract extension was a six-year/55 million dollar deal? I'm sorry, but I think not. Wright consistently has gone for .300 and 100 and is a slightly better fielder and that's just comparing him to his divisional counterparts. Let's not even bring him into the discussion with Longoria, Youk or Pablo Sandoval. Don't get me wrong Zimmerman is a good major leaguer and is worth keeping around, just not for 17 million a year.

Add this ridiculous deal to the mind-blowing 7 year/ 126 million dollar contract they shelled out to Jayson Werth. Werth, of course, turned in the worst seasons of his career, going .232 with 20 homers and 58 ribbies. You would have thought the Nationals learned. Nope. Not at all. So while Washington sits around waiting for the savior Steven Strausberg to reattach his cannon they continue to drown their bank accounts with overrated players and extensively ugly contracts. Though it is nice to see the Nationals spending a lot of money, a departure from the years of signing cheap rehashed players like Dimitri Young and Ronnie Belliard, having money simply does not equal success. Just ask the Yankees who for the good part of the 2000s had the highest payroll in baseball with nothing to show for it. Or ask their division rival Mets who spent as much as Citi Bank profits for one NLCS appearance. The difference between the good rich teams and the bad rich teams is the where they write their checks. So far the Nationals are 0 for 1 and pending on how Brad Lidge and Zimmerman perform they might just be 0 for 3 by the seasons end.

Let's just hope for their sake that Steven Strausberg does his best Denny McLain impression and wins 30+ games, but even at that I doubt this team is heading anywhere near a playoff berth.