Dave Martinez of the Washington Nationals praises his veteran starting pitcher

When the Washington Nationals signed Patrick Corbin as a free agent before the 2019 season, he was a talented, two-time All-Star coming off a season in which he finished fifth in National League Cy Young Award voting.

They agreed on a six-year contract worth $140 million because they were very optimistic about the future. In the first year, he showed exactly why it was a great move.

He finished 11th in Cy Young Award voting, going 14-7 in 33 starts and 202 innings, striking out 238 batters. He struck mightily in the postseason, pitching three shutout innings as a replacement for Max Scherzer out of the bullpen to seal Game 7 against the Houston Astros in the World Series.

This was by far the highlight of Corbin’s tenure with the franchise. Since then, there hasn’t been much to be excited about on the field.

2019 was the last time the Nationals reached the postseason, and the veteran left-hander was a serviceable player on the mound.

Since 2020, there has not been a pitcher in baseball who has given up more hits or had more earned runs scored against him. He also leads all pitchers with 70 losses.

Still, manager Dave Martinez had high praise for his veteran pitcher. There’s more to it than just a player’s record.

“Forget about the wins and losses,” Martinez said, via Jessica Camerato of MLB.com. “He went out there and competed and supported us in a lot of ball games. I can go back and look at games where maybe we made a mistake behind him or didn’t quite score the goals we needed him to, but he never complained. He just kept going out there. Gotta love it.”

While the production may not have been what Corbin or the team wanted it to be, he proved reliable. Every time it was his turn in the rotation, he answered the call and gave the team everything he had.

Washington threw 946.2 innings in six seasons. He made at least 30 starts in eight consecutive full seasons, not counting the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season in which he played all 11 rounds while in rotation.

That kind of reliability, despite the challenges of matching his abilities, is what the Nationals manager valued in Corbin.

“I’m really proud of him because there were a lot of people out there who went through what he went through and probably would have called it quits; He didn’t,” Martinez said. “Every five days he would take the ball and be out there. I’m very proud of him and whatever happens, I enjoyed my time with him. I know we will always stay close. His family is great. I’m so happy I could be a part of his career.”

Corbin’s term in the nation’s capital is likely over. With so many young players ready to get things done in the starting lineup, his services may no longer be needed.

They will all benefit from playing alongside a veteran of his caliber. The last five years have been challenging, but Corbin will forever be remembered for helping the team win a championship in 2019.