Reynolds trying to recruit potential Nats target LaRoche to Baltimore

It is of no secret that the Washington Nationals are showing interest in Adam LaRoche as a possible replacement to Adam Dunn but it appears they are not the only team in the Maryland and DC area that has an interest in him. Newly acquired Orioles first basemen Mark Reynolds recently made this comment about his trying to recruit LaRoche

"“I shot him a text message the other day. I was like ‘Come to Baltimore with me.’ He just kind of laughed and said, ‘Ha ha.’ He didn’t tell me much. That’s all I said to him. I think he would definitely be a great addition to the team. He’s a great guy. He was a good fit in our clubhouse. He’s a great first baseman and a good hitter. I think he can help any team.”"

If the Nationals miss out on signing LaRoche for one reason or another it would more than likely mean that they would turn all eyes towards Derrek Lee. The signing of Lee would mean a shorter deal than the one they would probably offer LaRoche which would also mean that we would end up seeing one of the Nats first base prospects sooner.

Lee who will turn 36 before the 2011 season is over would provide a defensive upgrade over Dunn as would LaRoche as well. Both are good players but Lee is 4 years older than LaRoche and is more likely to have a big fall off this sooner than LaRoche who I think will bounce this year from what was a pretty rough 2010 season for LaRoche. The Nats are showing interest in both Lee and LaRoche and at this point it is not certain as to who they like more and if LaRoche goes to Baltimore it is a question the Nats will never have to answer.