Kendrick never doubted he'd back with Nats for another year

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Howie Kendrick went home to Arizona a few days after the World Series ended, a free agent with no assurances of returning to the same Nationals club he had just helped lead to victory.

There was reason to wonder if the defending champs would want to bring back a 36-year-old utility man coming off far and away the best season of his career. Not that they didn't love Kendrick and his contributions, but what were the odds he could duplicate that performance at this age?

But as the offseason began to play out, it quickly became apparent Kendrick was very much in the Nationals' 2020 plans. And once he knew the club wanted him back, the veteran wasted no time working out a new deal with general manager Mike Rizzo.

"I had a good idea I was going to be back here," Kendrick said today, the first time he has spoken to reporters since he was re-signed Dec. 10. "I didn't worry about that too much. I had a few teams talking to me this offseason. But the biggest thing for me is, this was probably my No. 1 spot. I had communication with Rizzo, and he knew how I felt. And I knew how the team felt, too. So it worked out."

Kendrick returns for $4 million, the same salary he had in 2019, plus a $2.25 million buyout if the Nats don't pick up a $6.5 million mutual option for 2021. It's a relatively small price to pay for a guy who hit .344 with a .395 on-base percentage, 17 homers and 62 RBIs in only 370 regular season plate appearances, then clubbed two of the biggest home runs in franchise history come October.

Why was it such a no-brainer for Kendrick to return to Washington?

"Just the people here," he said. "The atmosphere. The people. The players. (Manager Davey Martinez) was a big part of that, too. And my relationship with all of the coaches. I knew what I had here. I knew the people here. And I knew my role here as a player. As a veteran guy, to be around all these guys in this locker room and to be able to help them, I think that was a big part of it, too."

Kendrick's role this season should look a lot like his role last season. Martinez will work hard to keep him fresh, giving him plenty of days off along the way. He'll make some starts at second base, along with newcomer Starlin Castro. He'll make some starts at first base, along with newcomer Eric Thames and stalwart Ryan Zimmerman. And he may get some chances to play third base, especially if top prospect Carter Kieboom doesn't prove himself ready for the job yet.

Kendrick is perfectly fine with that plan. He's not about to start demanding more playing time at this stage of his career.

"I haven't really talked to Davey, but I'm ready for whatever," he said. "I don't ever really complain about much. I'm ready to go whenever he needs me to do something. My biggest thing is trying to stay healthy."

Kendrick's ability to remain healthy down the stretch last season, and especially into the playoffs, was critical to the Nationals' October success. He wound up starting 16 of the team's 17 postseason games and delivered two of the most important hits in franchise history: his 10th inning grand slam in Game 5 of the National League Division Series and his go-ahead homer in the seventh inning of Game 7 of the World Series.

Those moments live on in Nationals lore, and Kendrick quickly found out when he got home in November that they'll be attached to his name for eternity.

"That's the crazy part about it: You get to re-live it every time you run into somebody you know," he said. "They'll tell me stories about them telling their friends. I get goose bumps every time I talk to somebody. To be a part of the postseason in that way, to be a part of this team and to be able to come up with moments like that ... you've made a couple errors, but that didn't define whether we won. To be able to come through for the team and help the team, I think that was huge. I'll always cherish those memories. It's been a great ride. And hopefully this year we can try to recreate some of those."