Washington Nationals might re-sign out-fielder Rick Ankiel – MLB Update
With the free agent market now ripe, the Washington Nationals are still left with seven of their free agents to deal with during the offseason. They made a stupendous start to the spending season, signing Chien-Ming Wang to a one-year contract and thus giving
him a new life in Major League Baseball.
One free agent which the Nationals will want to retain for at least a few more seasons is Rick Ankiel, a star in the outfield with an inbuilt offensive ability. The Nationals, after making a promising end to the regular season, are doing everything possible
to ensure better results for the next season. They have retained manager Davey Johnson for the next season and are now vying to keep their roster together and possibly improve it with a few big signings.
General manager Mike Rizzo has already stated that the ballclub will not hesitate in spending the extra bucks to sign names such as Prince Fielder and Jose Reyes, but it will largely depend on what offer do other teams make.
While the bull-pen is solid, the Nationals need to improve in out-field as well as offensively. In this context, Ankiel seems to be the most appropriate option for ballclub. The player has earned respect with his team-mates and has become an integral part
of the defence. Ankiel has changed the course of many games with his arm and is growing in popularity as one of the strongest out-field arm in baseball.
Ankiel’s agent, Scott Boras, is advocating his client’s case with various teams and has asserted that a meeting with Rizzo later in the week will clarify the management’s stance on Ankiel. Boras has stressed that his client is yet to reach full potential
on the offensive front and is thus demanding a substantial contract for Ankiel.
“Rick’s situation is unique,” Boras said. “He’s still a player who is advancing himself in the major leagues. We have not seen his best years. It’s certainly clear the Nats liked what they saw. It’s just pretty hard to find guys who can play center field,
who have that arm strength and who can hit for power.”
It will be interesting to see how Rizzo and Johnson approach Ankiel, who, rest assured, is a promising player.
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