What does the future hold for Washington’s veteran pitcher in free agency?

The 2024 MLB season could be the official end of an era for Washington Nationals.

If this was the starting pitcher’s last season Patrick Corbin being part of their rotation would mean there wouldn’t be a single player on their roster in 2025. 2019 World Series winning team.

Manager Dave Martinez will be the last person standing. That is, unless they do the unthinkable and sign star outfielder Juan Soto as a free agent.

Had Corbyn spent last season in the nation’s capital, it would have capped a six-year roller coaster ride.

It all started with a bang when he finished 11th in Cy Young Award voting in his first season with the team. He went 14-7 and was reliable. In Game 7 of the World Series, he came out of the bullpen and pitched three shutout innings in relief of Max Scherzer to help seal the deal against the Houston Astros.

This is the maximum height a pitcher can reach. Unfortunately for Corbyn, he and his team never came close to doing that again.

The Nationals haven’t made it to the postseason since winning the championship, missing out five years in a row and counting. The veteran left-hander’s productivity on the mound has also plummeted.

Over the past five seasons, there hasn’t been a single pitcher in baseball with more losses, hits allowed or runs scored on his record. Opponents hit him often and hard, as his effectiveness was no longer the same as before.

How Mark Zuckerman of Masn They shared that there was no indication that this partnership would continue beyond 2024. Washington’s best bet would be to use the money coming from its balance sheets to fill other holes in the list.

However, despite turning 35 in July, it appears retirement is not an option Corbyn is considering.

“Does Corbyn want to continue pitching? It really sounds like it. And while most of his numbers over the last four years have been dismal, the number that may still matter to other clubs is 170. That’s how many innings he averaged over those four seasons. They may not all have been of quality, but quantity still has a certain value in this sport.

There will be teams in 2025 (probably rebuilding teams) that will need innings. And at least Corbyn can provide that. He won’t make as much money as he did in Washington, but he should get major league offers. And if he accepts one of them, he hopes to benefit the other club by setting an example for other pitchers by simply picking up a ball every five days,” Zuckerman wrote.

The performance may not have been at the highest level, but you won’t find many starting pitchers as reliable as Corbin. He picks up the ball every time he spins.

2015 was the last time he didn’t make at least 31 starts in a full season; he scored 11 points during the COVID-19 shortened 2020 campaign. That kind of reliability and veteran championship experience is exactly what a young team can benefit from having around.