Washington Nationals agree to Major League deal with Zach Duke, says Thomas Boswell - MLB Update
Thomas Boswell, who writes for the Washington Post, has stated that the Washington Nationals have signed a Major League agreement with Zach Duke.
Rewarding his excellent shows while playing for the Triple-A team of Washington, he has been hired for the Major League.
While in the Minors he started games, it remains to be seen as to what job he performs for the Nationals during the next season.
Although the Nationals have a vacant spot on their rotation, it is not likely that he will fill that position.
Most probably, he has been acquired to come as replacement of Tom Gorzelanny, to whom the Nationals non-tendered at the conclusion of the Friday deadline.
Just like Duke, Gorzelanny was a left hander. Gorzelanny acted as long reliever and often rescued starters when they could not get off to brilliant starts.
Although the Nationals wanted to retain him, they just could not decide on a proper package of the deal within the stated time-period.
After non-tendering him, General Manager of Washington, Mike Rizzo revealed that they were happy with Gorzelanny but due to other issues, they could not make any decision about him.
It was reported that the Nationals will re-sign him from free agency.
If the deal with Duke happens, the Nationals will have successor of Gorzelanny, reducing the possibility that they pursue the latter in the market.
Duke has been playing in the Majors for the last many years. Having been unable to make any impact in the recent few seasons, he spent most of time in the Minors.
The Nationals first signed him to a Minor League contract, giving him an opportunity to fix issues with his throws and prove credentials for the Major League. He worked hard and put up decent performances regularly.
He won matches and posted an incredible ERA. For the same reason, he was brought to the Majors late in the last season. He continued with his top-notch form there, earning confidence of the officials.
Duke will be looking to live up to the expectations and find his role in the team. It will be interesting to see his impact on the overall performance of the club next year.
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