By Joe Pohoryles
After the Washington Capitals signed Darcy Kuemper to a five-year, $26.25 million deal yesterday to open NHL Free Agency, I couldn’t remember the last time the team committed that much money and term to one of the top names on the market.
No, it wasn’t the Columbus Blue Jackets surprisingly winning the Johnny Gaudreau sweepstakes, and Kuemper is not at the level of the best netminders in the league, but he was arguably the best option in net on the open market and will play the most important role on the team.
The point is, with much of the Caps core acquired via the draft or, in TJ Oshie’s case, by trade, there hasn’t been much room for a massive signing in quite some time.
As I pointed out in yesterday’s piece recapping the Kuemper signing, 2014 was the last time a signing even close to this level of impact was made. By inking Matt Niskanen (7 years/$40.25 million) and Brooks Orpik (5 years/$27.5 million) in 2014, the organization committed serious time and money to two of the 10 top players on the market, and it ultimately paid off, with both playing significant roles in the 2018 Stanley Cup team.
While we can only hope Kuemper will bring the same fortune, today we will be looking at the 10 best free agent signings over the past 10 years in DC Sports. This only considers players who signed from another team during the offseason, not players who re-signed even after hitting free agency.
This also is NOT a ranking of the best bargain signings. It is purely ranking the best free agent additions, even if it required a steep price.
The signings will be weighed both by individual performance and impact on the team’s success.
10. Kyle Schwarber, Washington Nationals (2021)
Contract: 1 year, $10 million
The Schwar-bombs in Nats Park in the Summer of 2021 feel like a fever dream, but for about four months, Schwarber was one of the best offensive players on the team. It seemed as if he hit a leadoff home run every game, and he practically did. His 16 home runs in an 18-game span in June 2021 has only been matched by Barry Bonds (2001) and Sammy Sosa (1998). A hamstring injury derailed his magical season, but not before he earned his first All-Star selection, and he was soon shipped up to Boston at the trade deadline amid the great fire sale of 2021. His impact wasn’t immense, but it was fun while it lasted.
9. Kurt Suzuki, Washington Nationals (2019)
Contract: 2 years, $10 million
Suzuki first played for the Nats in 2012 after a trade from the Oakland Athletics, and he was later sent back to Oakland in 2013, but he signed back again in 2019 and formed a solid timeshare with Yan Gomes behind the plate. He posted an OPS of .809 and .745 in 2019 and 2020, respectively, albeit with a limited number of plate appearances, and hit the go-ahead home run in Game 2 of the World Series. He was never a star on the team, but he certainly made an impact in his return to Washington.
8. Thomas Bryant, Washington Wizards (2018)
Contract: 1 year, $1.38 million
He just signed with the Los Angeles Lakers to take a shot at the starting role, but not too long ago it looked as if he would lock down that role in Washington. Claimed off waivers from the Lakers in 2018, Bryant developed into a quality stretch 5, improving his production with each season. He was averaging 14.3 points and 6.1 rebounds through 10 games in 2020-21 before he tore his ACL, missing the next year and ceding his spot in the rotation to Daniel Gafford and Kristaps Porzingis. All in all, Bryant worked out pretty well for a waiver pickup.
7. Paul Pierce, Washington Wizards (2014)
Contract: 2 years, $11 million
Pierce opted out after the first year of this deal, but what a year it was. The Boston Celtics legend averaged 11.9 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists across 73 games, mentoring a young John Wall and Bradley Beal along the way. He also loudly swept the Toronto Raptors to open the playoffs, “called game” with a memorable buzzer-beater in the second round against the Atlanta Hawks, and barely ran out of time before hitting another last-second shot that would have extended the Wizards season later in the series. ‘The Truth’ didn’t last long in DC, but in terms of leadership and postseason performance, he was among the most impactful.
6. Pierre Garcon, Washington Commanders (2012)
Contract: 5 years, $42.5 million
After drafting Robert Griffin III to take over at quarterback in 2012, Washington went out and snagged a top receiver for him. While RG3 didn’t pan out beyond his rookie season, Garcon proved to be Washington’s greatest free agent investment in recent memory. He led the NFL in receptions (113) in 2013, and while he only eclipsed 1,000 yards in a season once, he led the team in receiving yards three times (four among non-TEs). The team made the playoffs in two out of five seasons he was on the team, which is about as much success you can ask for in this era of team history.
5. Patrick Corbin, Washington Nationals (2019)
Contract: 6 years, $140 million
Instead of re-signing Bryce Harper, the Nats went out and brought in Corbin to create a three-headed monster in the starting rotation. Coming off an All-Star season in which he finished fifth in Cy Young voting, Corbin immediately made his mark, posting a 3.25 ERA and notching 238 strikeouts across 202 innings pitched. He played an instrumental role as a starter and out of the bullpen to deliver the Nats the 2019 World Series title, but since then, he inexplicably nosedived as one of the worst starting pitchers in baseball. He led the majors in earned runs (111) and losses (16) in 2021, and currently leads the majors in hits allowed (125) to go with a 5.70 ERA.
The contract has aged horribly, and if anything, this may look like one of the worst contracts in team history by the end, but what makes it top five in the last 10 years is purely what he meant to the team in 2019. The Nats would not have won the World Series without him, and while it’s been awful ever since, the Nats would take that deal 10 times out of 10.
4. Brooks Orpik, Washington Capitals (2014)
Contract: 5 years, $27.5 million
Orpik was a third-pair defenseman by the end of his stint, but he still played effective defense and brought invaluable leadership to the team. He wore an ‘A’ for much of his time here, and led the team in +/- during the 2018 postseason (+17). He was never a point-scoring defenseman, but the value of his signing goes far beyond the stat sheet.
3. Matt Niskanen, Washington Capitals (2014)
Contract: 7 years, $40.25 million
Given Niskanen and Orpik came in the same year, it’s hard to separate these two. However, Niskanen was a much-needed fixture in the top four defensive pairings. He tallied between 29-39 points in each of his first four seasons, and wound up with 25 in his fifth and final one before getting traded away in 2019. Niskanen averaged the second-most ice time (25:23) in the 2018 Cup run, barely behind John Carlson (25:38), and the team has lacked a strong top four since his departure.
2. Daniel Murphy, Washington Nationals (2016)
Contract: 3 years, $37.5 million
Fresh off of winning NLCS MVP in 2015 with the New York Mets, Murphy signed in DC and instantly became one of the team’s best offensive players. He led the NL in slugging percentage (.595) and OPS (.985) in 2016 and finished as runner-up in MVP voting. He was an All-Star in both full seasons in DC, and despite getting traded away in 2018 and never achieving postseason success with the Nats, he played a massive role with some Nats teams that were among the best in baseball.
1. Max Scherzer, Washington Nationals (2015)
Contract: 7 years, $210 million
Getting Scherzer was not only the greatest free agent signing of the past 10 years, it is in the conversation for the best in baseball history. Viewed as a risky move at the time with Scherzer turning 30, ‘Mad Max’ immediately stepped in as the ace. He won two Cy Youngs, and finished top three in three other seasons. He notched a couple no-hitters, immaculate innings and even threw a 20-strikeout game. Oh, and he also led the team to a World Series title in 2019. He’s the greatest player to wear a Nationals uniform, he will be the first player in Cooperstown with a Nats ‘Curly W’ on his cap, and he’s the greatest free agent signing in DC history.
The Wildcard 