After reliever Tanner Rainey got non-tendered and sent into free agency on Friday night, the Washington Nationals lost the last remaining member of their team that won the World Series in 2019.
In case the Washington Nationals' 2019 World Series championship didn't feel distant enough already, the final holdover from that year's team has finally walked out the door.on Friday night, sending him into free agency instead of going through one last round of arbitration this winter. It marked the end of Rainey's six-year stint in Washington, one which started with a championship and ended with five consecutive losing seasons.
Rainey joined the Nationals via a trade with the Cincinnati Reds in December 2018, one that cost Washington longtime starting pitcher Tanner Roark. The righty strung together a solid rookie campaign, going 2-3 with a 3.91 ERA, 1.448 WHIP, 13.8 strikeouts per nine innings and 0.5 WAR before making nine appearances that postseason.
After going 1-1 with a 2.66 ERA, 0.758 WHIP, 14.2 strikeouts per nine innings and 1.0 WAR in 2020, Rainey saw his ERA explode to 7.39 in 2021 as his WAR dipped to -1.1. And while he seemed to recover by posting a 3.30 ERA and 0.3 WAR to open 2022, he got Tommy John surgery and was out until the final weekend of 2023.
The 31-year-old returned to full health in 2024, only to put up a 4.76 ERA and 0.1 WAR across his 50 appearances. For his career, Rainey is 5-10 with a 5.23 ERA, 1.483 WHIP, 11.2 strikeouts per nine innings and a -0.1 WAR. That production, along with a projected price tag of $1.9 million, led the Nationals not to welcome Rainey back for 2025., however, two last vestiges technically remain. Reliever Sean Doolittle rejoined the team as a pitching strategist in January, while outfielder Gerardo Parra just completed his first season as the club's first base coach.Also, the departure of Tanner Rainey means there are no players from the 2019 World Series roster left on the Nationals.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Did World Series Make Veteran's Contract Tolerable for Washington Nationals?Was Patrick Corbin's tenture with the Washington Nationals a complete bust?
Read more »
Washington Nationals Linked to World Series Champion in Free AgencyThe Washington Nationals could add a World Series winner to the their young pitching staff this offseason.
Read more »
Washington Nationals Linked to Former World Series Champion in Free AgencyThe Washington Nationals were recently linked to a former World Series champion in MLB free agency.
Read more »
Washington Nationals Rising Star Has Interesting Outlook for Next SeasonOne of the Washington Nationals young starters has an interesting outlook for next season.
Read more »
Toronto Blue Jays Named Potential Suitor for Washington Nationals CloserShould the Washington Nationals consider trading their closer this offseason?
Read more »
Will Washington Nationals Reallocate Assets to Younger Starting Pitching?Should the Washington Nationals spend on pitching this offseason?
Read more »