Most significant stories of 2021: Zimmerman's possible farewell

As we reach the final week of the year, we're taking a look back at the Nationals' most significant stories of 2021. Some of them are uplifting. Some of them are depressing. All of them were significant in telling the story of the 2021 season. We continue today with one of the most emotional aspects of the year: Ryan Zimmerman's potential farewell tour. ...

Throughout a season of turmoil and constant change, there was only one declaration the Nationals could make with complete confidence: Ryan Zimmerman was in uniform and available to play every single day.

It's true. The only player who spent the entire 2021 season on the Nats' active big league roster was Zimmerman. While others suffered injuries, landed on the COVID-19 list, were demoted to the minors or traded to another club, Zimmerman was a sole survivor. He never got hurt. He never got COVID. And, of course, he never wore anyone else's uniform.

Given the veteran first baseman's previous issues avoiding injuries over the years, it was shocking in many ways. But it also provided some much needed sense of familiarity and stability for a franchise that otherwise underwent a massive overhaul.

And it provided Nationals fans countless opportunities to salute the club's record holder in almost every statistical category, a daily show of appreciation for the most popular player in team history, culminating with a string of emotional standing ovations on the season's final day.

Nobody among the Oct. 3 crowd of 33,986 knew if they were watching Zimmerman play the final game of his storied career. Nor did the 37-year-old himself know at the time. So they all decided to act as if this was indeed the end of the road, just in case.

"I'm pretty lucky to have been able to do it for as long as I have, so it's hard to feel sorry or anything like that," Zimmerman said after a 7-5 loss to the Red Sox that left him tearing up on multiple occasions. "I think it's an exciting day. My family was here. If this is the last day, it was a hell of a day."

For a variety of reasons, it would make sense for Zimmerman to retire now. After 17 seasons, 1,799 games, 7,402 plate appearances, 284 home runs, 1,061 RBIs, two All-Star selections, two Silver Slugger Awards, one Gold Glove Award, 11 walk-off homers and (most importantly) a World Series ring, he has nothing left to prove.

And given the current direction of the Nationals franchise, with the vast majority of the roster having only joined the organization within the last few seasons and the front office viewing 2022 as a rebuilding year, it's fair to question why Zimmerman would even want to consider coming back for more.

But then you consider what he did on the field in 2021. In addition to staying healthy all season long, he produced a .756 OPS, 16 doubles, 14 homers and 46 RBIs in 273 plate appearances. He played flawless defense. And he served as a valuable mentor to his suddenly young and inexperienced teammates.

Why wouldn't Zimmerman and the Nats want to keep the relationship going for at least another season?

"Do I want to keep playing? I think I can keep playing," he said after Game 162. "I think I had a really good year with the role that I was supposed to do. Now it's a decision of: Do I want to keep doing that or do I want to be around my family a little bit more?"

Zimmerman opted out of the abbreviated 2020 season out of concern for his family's health, knowing his wife, Heather, was due to give birth that summer while his mother, Cheryl, remained at high risk for developing a serious case of COVID-19 due to multiple sclerosis. And now, with a fourth child on the way in 2022, there will be ample reason for him to prioritize family over baseball.

For now, though, Zimmerman has given no indication he has decided to retire. He initially said that decision would need to come in early December, because that's when he would need to begin getting his body ready for spring training. Now, with a labor fight and work stoppage, the timing of spring training and opening day are less than 100 percent certain, so he can't know with absolutely certainty when he needs to be ready to play.

If the lockout ends in a timely fashion and teams are allowed to finish assembling their rosters in advance of spring training, the Nationals will welcome Zimmerman back with open arms if he chooses to return. General manager Mike Rizzo has made it clear a job is his if he wants it.

If, however, Zimmerman decides it's time to hang them up, the emotions of this last season will have been for good reason. The scene on South Capitol Street during and after Game 162 had all the trimmings of a farewell, and that was by design.

Just in case.