Nationals Add Patrick Corbin: Free Agent Market Gets Interesting
One of the biggest free agents of this offseason has been signed by the Nationals. Patrick Corbin reportedly signed with Washington, to add to an already very strong starting rotation that includes Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg. Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post reported that the contract will be worth $140 million for a total of six years, pending a physical.
Corbin was the top free-agent in the market this offseason, making it two top pitching free agents the Nats have signed since 2015, the other being two-time Cy Young award winner Max Scherzer.
Corbin last year had a career season at the age of 29. He had 200 IP, finished with a 3.15 ERA, and had 246 strikeouts, and only walked 48 players, which would land him an all-star spot, and he also ended in fifth place in Cy Young voting. This signing is expected to lower the starting rotation’s ERA for the Nationals, who had the ninth-lowest ERA in the league in 2018.
There are some drawbacks, though, as Corbin has had Tommy John surgery, missing all of 2014, and part of 2015. He also pitched from the bullpen in 2016 and parts of 2017.
Due to this signing, however, the Nationals are now $50 million above the luxury tax, meaning that the Arizona Diamondbacks, Corbin’s previous team, will be getting a first-round compensation pick in the 2019 draft.
With this signing, the Nationals have spent a total of $525 million on Corbin, Scherzer, and Stephen Strasburg. This is the fifth acquisition for the Nats, after relievers Kyle Barraclough and Trevor Rosenthal, as well as catchers Kurt Suzuki and Yan Gomes.
Anyways, welcome to Washington D.C., Patrick Corbin.
