Patrick Corbin to the Nationals: 6 years, $140 million

The Washington Nationals have agreed to a 6 year, $140 million deal with free agent lefthanded pitcher Patrick Corbin, according to multiple reports. Corbin, 29, was considered the top free agent pitcher on the market once Clayton Kershaw opted to stay with the Dodgers.

Corbin is cashing in after a breakout 2018 campaign that saw him put up a 3.15 ERA and a 2.47 FIP in 200 innings over 33 starts for the Arizona Diamondbacks, with 246 strikeouts against 48 walks. His 4.6 bWAR for the year was a career high, surpassing the 3.0 bWAR he put up in 2013.

At almost $25 million per year, the Nationals are betting that Corbin’s improvement last season is sustainable, and that he won’t have any long-term problems from his 2014 Tommy John surgery. As we discussed a few hours ago, Jon Heyman and his expert were projecting just a five year deal for Corbin at $17-20 million per year.

Corbin was originally a second round draft pick of the Anaheim Angels. He went to the Diamondbacks, along with Rafael Rodriguez, Tyler Skaggs and Joe Saunders, in July, 2010, for Dan Haren.