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The Washington Nationals have extended the $15.8 million qualifying offer to shortstop Ian Desmond and starting pitcher Jordan Zimmermann, as announced by James Wagner of the Washington Post.
Nats say they've extended qualifying offers to Jordan Zimmermann and Ian Desmond. Denard Span doesn't get one.
— James Wagner (@JamesWagnerWP) November 6, 2015
Desmond, 30, had a down 2015, hitting .233/.290/.384. He still hit 19 home runs and drove in 62 runs. While the batting average left much to be desired, in the previous three years, he posted a quality batting average along with at least 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases. Teams will overlook the production during 2015 because his seven-year career has shown more promise than failure.
Zimmermann, 29, has been consistent over his seven-year career. In 2015, Zimmermann pitched to a 13-10 record with a 3.66 ERA. He struck out 164 over 201.2 innings. Health is a tremendous selling point for the right-handed starter. In his last four years, he exceeded 200.0 innings two times and never pitched in fewer than 195.0 innings. In addition, he has not finished below .500 in the last four years. The once 19-game winner is not a strikeout artist, but he could be a stabilizing force in any team's rotation.
Both Desmond and Zimmermann are expected to reject the qualifying offer.
Notably, outfielder Denard Span and starting pitcher Doug Fister did not receive a qualifying offer. Surprising for Span because he has been consistently productive over his eight-year career. He was limited to a .301 batting average, five home runs, and 22 runs batted in 61 games due to injuries.
