You might recall that Ryan Zimmerman seemed a little upset that the Nationals elected to let Adam Dunn sign with the Chicago White Sox this summer. He came out with some strong words at the time, seemingly conveying that he really wanted Dunn to stick around. It got to the point where many were freaking out over whether Zimmerman would want to be with the organization when his contract ends in 2013.
But time heals all perceived wounds, as do the hopes and dreams that come with the beginning of another baseball season. Today at Nationals Spring Training, Zimmerman attempted to clear the air about his true feelings with the organization this winter.
Via Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post:
"I never said I wasn't happy with the team," Zimmerman said. "You have friends and teammates that you like to play with. It happens everywhere. I was not by any means saying anything about the club or the organization. I think a lot people thought I was.
"I had talked to Mike [Rizzo] quite a bit. I knew that they had a plan. Obviously, they've done it for the past couple years to get this team in place. I was just expressing more frustration of losing a teammate and a friend than anything. I think a lot of people took it as I was taking a stab at them or talking bad about them, which was completely the opposite."
It's tempting to say this is simply damage control, but Zimmerman does have a point. Players should be able to express frustration with losing a teammate that's made life easier for them for several years running without having us freak out over how they feel about the organization as a whole. Of course, us fans freak out about everything, so it's all a natural part of how sports goes.
Regardless, it's time to move forward. Hopefully, the Nationals do enough to make Zimmerman proud in the next two years.