Nationals bring back Zimmerman on 1-year deal
The Washington Nationals and veteran first baseman Ryan Zimmerman agreed to a one-year, $1-million deal Saturday.
The contract also contains a variety of performance incentives based on games, plate appearances, and awards. Zimmerman also received full no-trade protection in writing from the Nationals, according to Jon Heyman of MLB Network.
Zimmerman, who opted out of last season, will likely slot in as a bench piece and backup at first base behind Josh Bell. He's presumed to get some starts against left-handed pitching, owing to his superior splits against southpaws throughout his career. Zimmerman posted a .966 OPS against left-handers in 2019.
The 36-year-old has spent his entire 15-year career with the Nationals after they drafted him fourth overall in 2005, months after moving to D.C. from Montreal. He holds a number of offensive records from the team's Washington era.
Zimmerman won a World Series with the Nationals in 2019, hitting .257/.321/.415 with six home runs and 27 RBIs in 52 games. Overall, the two-time All-Star is a career .279/.343/.475 hitter with 1,784 hits, 270 homers, and 1,015 RBIs.
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