Washington Nationals players voted last year to split a full postseason share among personnel in the organization’s scouting and player development departments.

While there is precedent for such action by a team, it isn’t routine. Players more frequently include employees who are around the club every day, such as clubhouse attendants and bullpen catchers.

For every playoff team, the distribution of shares is voted on before the postseason begins by players who spent the entire year with the club. The Nationals awarded 49 full shares, each valued at $37,045.32.

Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said “a few key veterans” led the push to include the scouting and player development staff in the bonus pool.

“That was a nice gesture showing their appreciation for all of the hours and hard work that those individuals put in,” Rizzo said through a team spokesperson. “There are a lot of behind-the-scenes individuals who contribute to a winning season, and I was glad to see our players recognize those people.”

The Nationals declined to say how many employees were included in the disbursement.

-- Jon Paul Morosi