The Washington Nationals were always going to be scouring the second base market this winter. However, this month’s trade of pending free agent Daniel Murphy officially sealed the deal.
Replacing Murphy is an impossible task. Among qualified second baseman since the start of 2016, the three-time All-Star is first in OPS, second in average, third in strikeout rate, and fifth in fWAR.
He snatched up Silver Slugger awards in 2016 and 2017, finished second in MVP voting in 2016, and helped propel the Nationals to consecutive postseason appearances for the first time in team history.