Rob Grabowski-USA TODAY Sports
It didn’t last an entire week, but the David DeJesus Era has already come to an end for the Washington Nationals. It was an era that probably never should have begun for the Nats, after they claimed and acquired the veteran outfielder off of waivers from the Chicago Cubs, before shipping him to the Tampa Bay Rays.
It’s certainly an unfortunate situation for DeJesus. One of the classier veteran players throughout the league, and a family-oriented type guy has been traded twice in the span of a week, the first of which involved him being traded from the club close to his wife’s hometown in Wheaton, Illinois.
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As unfortunate as it is that DeJesus has been moved twice, the first one should likely have never happened. The Nationals never should have acquired DeJesus, given their current position as far as their playoff hopes are concerned. Which is why some have speculated that the claim was made in error.
If the Nationals had been in playoff contention, then a guy like DeJesus makes sense. He’s a steady player in the lineup, capable of getting on base at the top of the order, or hitting towards the bottom, while bringing the ability to play all three outfield positions. He’s also an outstanding guy in the clubhouse.
That’s the type of player you want to add for the stretch run and to have around in a playoff race. The Nationals are not in a playoff race at this point. Their playoff hopes are all but shot. A team like the Rays, in need of outfield depth and in a playoff race, are in a much better position to add a guy like that.
Regardless, the situation is now over. While the Nats had to surrender a bit of cash, they’ll get salary relief in moving him to the Rays in exchange for a player to be named later or cash considerations, bringing one of the stranger tenures in franchise history to an end.
