Topps Cards That Should Have Been: 2006 Nationals

 

I've unwittingly become a chronicler of the early years of the Washington Nationals organization thanks to this Topps Cards That Should Have Been project. I already detailed the end of the Expos through cards Topps didn't find it in themselves to make, and I've gone over the initial 2005 incarnation of the team. I figure we should keep this going if it's worked this well, so on we go to 2006.

We start with Royce Clayton, a journeyman defensive shortstop that had bounced around in the 2000s, with two previous years that Topps failed to document with expansion teams. Clayton, at 36, became the starting shortstop for the Nats, and hit .269 with 82 hits and 27 RBIs in 87 games, an impressive start from a guy the team had essentially taken a flyer on. Ultimately, he would be collateral damage in the deal that netted the Nats Austin Kearns, Felipe Lopez and Ryan Wagner from the Reds, and wouldn't reach numbers this consistent again.

I've brought up Robert Fick in this series quite a bit, mostly because after his breakout with the Braves and Tigers he never really challenged the mainstream of baseball again, so all his stops wound up being left off by Topps. After a few years in San Diego, Fick wound up in Washington as a bench man, and hit .266 with 9 homers in 60 games. He'd actually have a larger role in the 2007 team, but as a bench guy he did the trick.

Luis Matos played nearly his entire career with the Baltimore Orioles, having a smash hit 2003 and becoming a contact favorite. Unfortunately, his 2003 season was one he'd never match up to, and after a few more years of alright work, he was cut by the O's in July 2006. The last 14 games of Matos' MLB career would be played on the other side of the state, in Washington. There, he'd hit .200, with 3 hits in 15 at-bats. He'd try to make camp with multiple teams in 2007 to no avail.

Pedro Astacio had been around since 1992, and had hung in there long enough to see the Nats appear and sign him. Previously known as the guy who got Eric Young out of Colorado, Astacio was an extremely steady starting pitcher for some mid-range teams, and by 2006, at age 37, he was still starting games. In 17 starts with the Nats, he won 5 games and had a 5.98 ERA. Decent enough for filling innings, but you can tell these would be Astacio's last career numbers.

Relief man extraordinaire Mike Stanton had partial season stats for the first two years of the Nats' existence. He was dealt there in 2005 by the Yankees only to finish with Boston for a game, and then started the season in Washington yet again. At 39, Stanton still had some stuff left, with a 4.47 ERA and 30 Ks in 56 appearances, but his year would improve upon a midyear trade to San Francisco. Stanton would have a mediocre age-40 year in Cincinnati and eventually call it a career in 2009, at age 42.

Not sure where I'll go tomorrow, but I wanna try and keep these consistent.