Franchise in Focus: Washington Nationals

The Past

The Washington Nationals were inaugurated in 1969 as the Montreal Expos, the first MLB team to play outside of the United States. It would not be until 1979 when the team enjoyed its first winning season, which set off five in a row. However, only once, in 1981, did Montreal make the postseason, and that year they lost in the NLCS.

It would not be until the mid-1990’s when the team got back on its feet, but they then came crashing to a halt, because the franchise’s best season was cut short by the strike. When the season came to an end on August 12, 1994, the Expos were 74-40 and led the NL East by 6 games. Before the beginning of the next season, however, the stars on the 1994 team such as Larry Walker and Pedro Martinez were told to find new homes. This led to a downward spiral that did not end until the team relocated to Washington prior to the 2005 season, after an extensive battle with the city council and the Baltimore Orioles.

The Present

In 2005, the Nationals surprised everyone by finishing 81-81. During the off-season, they traded for Alfonso Soriano, who gave them a career season. However, the team fell to 71-91 in the 2006 season. The Nationals made what turned out to be a fatal error as the trade deadline approached, retaining Soriano, whose contract ran out at season’s end. Soriano would leave for the Chicago Cubs, leaving the franchise with no real star player. The team would also fire manager Frank Robinson and replace him with Manny Acta.

The Future

The Nationals’ financial situation limits their options with no foreseeable end. The only bright side is the success of small market teams such as Minnesota and Oakland who have similarly limited financial resources.

The team does have solid players, but unfortunately many of them, such as Nick Johnson, Jose Vidro, and John Patterson, are injury-prone. Third baseman Ryan Zimmerman, however, is a rising star, who, hopefully for Washington, can produce many fruitful seasons in the future. However, a pitching staff that finished with an NL-worst 5.03 ERA in 2006 has very few good players, essentially Patterson and closer Chad Cordero. Tony Armas Jr. and the tallest player in league history, Jon Rauch, are also solid. The Washington area got its team but will have to be patient for a contending one.