On the morning of December 24, 2015 and creeping up on Mike Rizzo’s Christmas Eve, he had not signed one infielder to the Major League roster and had actually seen attrition in his infield roster as his Silver Slugger shortstop left to free agency and his 2nd best hitter of 2015, Yunel Escobar was traded to the Angels for Trevor Gott.
Rizzo was in great physical pain all off-season requiring back surgery on December 22nd. As he laid on his back on his hardwood floor in his DC home for extra support for his back, and picked up his phone to call up Seth Levinson at the Aces Agency, Rizzo thought back to the deals they crafted with Gio Gonzalez after his trade from the A’s to the Nats and even arbitration deals for Michael Morse. Daniel Murphy wanted to be signed before Christmas and Rizzo and Levinson crafted a deal that would work for both sides, and it was for far less than the 4 years and $16 million per year that the experts thought Murphy would get which is why this deal made so much sense for the Nats.
With one signing on December 24th, Rizzo got one of his biggest holes filled in ways that he couldn’t with any of the other candidates. Daniel Murphy was set to be a Nats subject to a physical after the Holidays.
Surprise surprise that there was some loud noise and criticism on Twitter and other blogs of negativity on Rizzo that he failed on Zobrist and swung and missed badly on Brandon Phillips, and he didn’t get Darren O’Day. On the radar and off just as quickly was the Nats rumored $200 million offer for Jason Heyward. Commentors were trying to put together a pattern there, and even some in the media that Rizzo was getting turned down everywhere.
Here is what Tom Boswell of the Washington Post had to say after the Murphy signing,
“Partly, this is January happy talk. Murphy was the Nats’ third choice for second base after Zobrist and Phillips.”
Continue reading →
