Left-hander Patrick Corbin, one of the top pitching prospects on the free agent market, signed a six-year deal with the Washington Nationals worth $140 million.
Corbin, 29, made the All-Star team this year with the Arizona Diamondbacks and finished with a 11-7 record and a 3.15 ERA. In seven seasons with the Diamondbacks, Corbin is a career 56-54 pitcher.
Corbin Pay Dirt
Corbin had an impressive 2013 season in Arizona with a 14-8 record. His career took a downturn when he missed 2014 and part of 2015 recovering from Tommy John surgery. Corbin had a slow road back and struggled. The D-Backs demoted him to the bullpen at one point in 2016, but he fought his way back into the starting rotation.
Corbin bounced back with a strong 2017 season. With more velocity on his pitches, he finished with a 14-13 record, and a 4.03 ERA and 1.42 WHIP.
In 2018, Corbin looked even stronger. He whiffed 246 batters and threw 200 innings for the second time in his career and the first time after Tommy John surgery. He finished the season with a 1.05 WHIP.
Corbin grew up in Syracuse, New York and loved the Yankees as a kid. The Bronx Bombers thought they had the inside track on Corbin, but the Nationals wooed him away from the Bronx and from Philadelphia.
Many so-called industry experts suggested Corbin would garner a $90 million contract, so the $140 number is way more than expected. Corbin ended up with the 13th richest contract in MLB history.
Trip Aces
The Nationals will be saying goodbye to Bryce Harper. The 2015 NL MVP, who has been shopping for a potential new ballclub.
The Nats won only 82 games this season and failed to make the playoffs for the first time in two seasons. The Nats won the NL East four times since 2012 with four postseason appearances. However, they have yet to win an actual series and never got out of the NLDS in four attempts.
Corbin joins a starting rotation that is already stacked with two aces. Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg have both won the Cy Young three times.
The bookies in Las Vegas took notice of the importance of Corbin’s signing. The Westgate SuperBook adjusted the Nationals from 20-1 to 12-1 odds to win the 2019 World Series.
Hot Market
While the Miami Marlins have embraced caliente red as a new uniform color, it’s been a busy offseason market in baseball. The Yankees made moves by re-signing veteran CC Sabathia and traded their top prospect Justus Sheffield to the Seattle Mariners for James Paxton.
Jerry Dipoto, the GM of the Mariners, has been working overtime during the current firesale in Seattle. The M’s are in rebuilding mode and traded their top reliever Edwin Diaz and high-priced slugger Robinson Cano to the Mets.
The Cleveland Indians have been fielding offers for Corey Kluber. With Corbin now heading to DC, the Kluber sweepstakes intensifies. After losing out on Corbin, the Yankees will certainly increase their efforts on perusing Kluber.