Nationals agree to terms with Yan Gomes and Howie Kendrick

The Washington Nationals agreed to terms on a two-year contract with catcher Yan Gomes and a one-year contract with a mutual option for 2021 with infielder Howie Kendrick on Tuesday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcements. Gomes, 32, returns to the Nationals after hitting .223 with 16 doubles, 12 home runs, 43 RBI, 38 walks, two stolen bases and 36 runs scored in his first season with Washington in 2019. From August 18 through the end of the season, he led Major League catchers (min. 100 PA) in slugging percentage (.564) and OPS (.900). He ranked tied for first in doubles (9), tied for third in home runs (6) and tied for fourth in RBI (17) over this stretch. Gomes appeared in 11 of Washington's 17 Postseason games, hitting .241 (7-for-29) with two doubles, three RBI, two walks and three runs scored along the way. A veteran of eight Major League seasons, Gomes has hit .245 with a .297 on-base percentage and a .420 slugging percentage in 749 career Major League games. He's clubbed 137 doubles, six triples, 99 home runs and 351 RBI in his career. Kendrick, 36, returns to the Nationals after hitting .344 with 23 doubles, one triple, 17 home runs, 62 RBI, 27 walks and 61 runs scored in 121 games for Washington in 2019. His 17 home runs were his most since he hit 18 in 2011, and his 62 RBI were his most since he recorded 75 in 2014. Kendrick's two-run home run in the top of the seventh inning of Game 7 of the World Series put Washington ahead of the Houston Astros for good. In addition to his World Series heroics, Kendrick was named National League Championship Series Most Valuable Player and his grand slam in Game 5 of the National League Division Series propelled the Nationals past the Los Angeles Dodgers. After missing the majority of the 2018 season with a ruptured right Achilles, in 2019 Kendrick's .344 batting average ranked first among Major League players with at least 370 plate appearances. He also ranked among National League players (min. 370 PA) in on-base percentage (6th, .395), OPS (6th, .966), and slugging percentage (10th, .572). Kendrick returned from a stint on the Injured List on Aug. 12 and through the end of the regular season, he hit .425 with seven doubles, one triple, five homers, 14 RBI, seven walks and 19 runs scored in 33 games. He hit safely in 12 straight starts and 16 of 18 starts during that stretch. Since joining the Nationals via trade on July 28, 2017, Kendrick leads Major League Baseball with a .322 batting average. Since coming to D.C., he has hit .322 with a .367 on-base percentage and a .529 slugging percentage with 45 doubles, three triples, 28 homers, 99 RBI, 43 walks, seven stolen bases and 102 runs scored in 213 games. In 14 Major League seasons, Kendrick has hit .294 with a .337 on-base percentage and a .431 slugging percentage. He has recorded 350 doubles, 38 triples, 125 home runs, 710 RBI, 126 stolen bases, 342 walks and 781 runs scored in 1,596 career games. Washington now has 33 players on its 40-man roster.