MLB Trade Rumors: Would Bringing Back Jordan Zimmermann Be a Good Move for the Washington Nationals?
New rumor hints Nationals may have interest in bringing back their former starter
Since signing with the Detroit Tigers and pitching full-time in the American League, things have not exactly gone well for Jordan Zimmermann.
To say that the right-hander's career with the Tigers has been unimpressive would be an understatement, and the contract is something that both player and team may be having second thoughts about.
Zimmermann, however, is still with the Tigers, and his hefty contract combined with his poor performance almost guarantees that he will be going nowhere, which is what makes a new trade rumor floating around online so interesting.
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Recently, the Boston Globe's Nick Cafardo noted in an article that the Washington Nationals "have some interest" in the current Tigers pitcher. That is interesting because Zimmermann played for the Nationals before he signed with the Tigers.
Is it possible that the Nationals believe that their previous relationship with Zimmermann will make it easier for them to make some tweaks and bring back the pitcher who was so good for them during the earlier part of this decade?
That could very well be the case, but even if the Nationals do believe that they have some kind of insight into Zimmermann the pitcher, they may still want to hold off on trading for the 31-year-old.
Zimmermann's struggles could be related in some way to him switching teams and leagues, but his numbers suggest that there was a genuine dip in his performance that cannot be attributed to just a big move.
As seen on Fangraphs, Zimmermann's strikeout rate has dropped significantly in recent years and he is also allowing a higher percentage of hard-hit balls. Those stats suggest that Zimmermann's poor numbers in Detroit have more to do with diminished ability as opposed to bad luck or adjusting to a new league.
There is certainly a chance that Zimmermann could do better by moving back to a franchise he knows well, but it is also entirely possible that the pitcher the Nationals knew is not coming back anytime soon.
More news about the latest MLB trade rumors should be made available soon.
