Howie Kendrick is fresh off of being a hero for the Washington Nationals in their postseason run all the way to the World Series. After making the improbable run, the Nationals were able to come through with a massive upset win over the Houston Astros in the World Series to win their first championship.
Now, Kendrick is on the free agent market and will be able to choose where to play the next chapter of his career. He may be a veteran, but there are plenty of teams with interest in signing him. Two of those teams have already been listed.
According to a report from Brittany Ghiroli of The Athletic, the Tampa Bay Rays and Miami Marlins are interested in signing Kendrick this offseason.
Howie Kendrick drawing a lot of early interest, including the Rays. Marlins also interested. He's from Florida, but lives in the Phoenix area now in the offseason. Veteran looking for a short deal.
— Britt Ghiroli (@Britt_Ghiroli) November 6, 2019
During the 2019 season with the Nationals, Kendrick ended up recording a .344 batting average to go along with 17 home runs and 62 RBI's. Washington needed that production in a big way from him, as could quite a few other teams.
Kendrick also put together a good run in the playoffs. He ended up with a .286 batting average, two home runs and 12 RBI's during that run. Having that kind of a reliable veteran bat in the lineup is important and both the Rays and Marlins could benefit from having him around.
The Marlins are an intriguing landing spot for Kendrick, as they have a lot of work to do to get back into playoff contention. Kendrick would have a major role in helping develop the young talent. Tampa Bay, on the other hand, were competing this season and could use more reliable bats in their lineup.
All of that being said, the Marlins and Rays are two teams to keep an eye on this offseason. Kendrick will likely receive more interest, but they are two of the teams already interested.
