And those plays are countered by him throwing the ball away about 10 times a year more than the next third baseman. It all evens out, hence why he's had back to back negative UZR and DRS seasons. Couple that with a history of shoulder and throwing issues and it's pretty clear that he isn't long for the hot corner.
Anthony Rendon, OTH, has been scouted as a potential gold glover at the position.
It's completely win-win for the Nats. Zimmerman gets hurt, T-Mo plays first. Rendon gets hurt, Zim goes back to third, T-Mo plays first.