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Washington Nationals News: Nats sign Tony Campana to minor league deal

By Pablo Roa

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Good afternoon DoD readers, and welcome to today’s District Daily. Before tonight’s game against the Dodgers, get caught up on the latest Nats news and opinions with some great Washington Nationals articles from around the web below.

In today’s Daily, Chelsea Janes of The Washington Post discusses the Nationals’ recent acquisition of outfielder Tony Campana. As Janes notes, the Nationals signed Campana to a minor league deal through next season and the outfielder reported to the team’s complex in Viera, Fla. last weekend.

Campana, 29, is a speedy outfielder who has played 257 games at the big league level in parts of four seasons with the Cubs, Diamondbacks and Angels. Campaign last played in the majors with the Angels in 2014, where he batted .333 with 2 RBIs in 15 at-bats.

While Campana has some big league experience, the signing is likely a depth move for the Nationals at this point. The outfielder is still recovering from a torn ACL he suffered in February and may not be healthy enough to join the Nationals before the season ends. But, as Janes notes, a healthy Campana could help the Nationals in September and in the postseason.

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As Janes writes in her article, the Nationals’ bench is severely lacking in speed and often times a bench player who is capable of stealing bases late in the game can be a major asset in the postseason. Right now, the only player the Nationals have who fits those credentials is Danny Espinosa and adding another speedster to their veteran, power-oriented bench could provide a major boost for the Nationals.

At this point, it’s not clear if the 29-year-old Campana will be able to help the team this year. According to Janes, the most reasonable guess is that he could join the bench in 2016. In any case, this is a virtually no-risk signing by the Nationals that could pay off in the not-so-distant future.

Also in today’s Daily, the Post’s James Wagner discusses manager Matt Williams‘ views of the Nationals’ offense and provides some updates on several Nationals players who are still on the disabled list.

Be sure to check out both articles below, they’re definitely worth a read. And as always, stay tuned to DoD for all your Washington Nationals needs.

Nationals sign outfielder Tony Campana to a minor league deal

(Chelsea Janes, Washington Post)

In the kind of no-risk, potential payoff move the Nationals have made repeatedly over the past few seasons, Washington has signed outfielder Tony Campana to a minor league deal through next season, according to people familiar with the situation.

Campana, 29, is a left-handed-hitting, speed-first outfielder who last played in the majors in 2014, when he split 44 games between the Angels and Diamondbacks. He signed a minor league deal with the White Sox this offseason, but tore his ACL in February. The White Sox released him a month later. Read full article here.

Matt Williams on the Nationals’ offense

(James Wagner, Washington Post)

The Nationals‘ lineup is healthier now than it has been for much of the season. But still, since Jayson Werth, Ryan Zimmerman and Anthony Rendonreturned from their stints on the disabled list, the Nationals are 5-8 and averaging 3.8 runs per game in that span of 13 games. That is, albeit, a small sample size, and those previously injured players are easing their way back after missing a chunk of the season. It takes time to get into a groove and find consistency.

“It’s important for us to execute properly,” Manager Matt Williams said. “We had a couple, especially over the home stand, of guys on second base with nobody out and couldn’t get him over. So, that being said, in the same breath, its guys coming back and starting to hit well. We had 14 opportunities [Sunday], which is great. That’s what we want…” Read full article here.

Next: Rapid Reaction: Gio Gonzalez Rounding into Form

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