MLB.com’s Bill Ladson reports that free-agent first baseman Adam LaRoche and the Nationals are “inching closer to a deal.”
This news is promising, as the Nationals had previously been reported to have set an informal deadline of Christmas Day (December 25) to either sign LaRoche or move on. Well, that deadline is just three days away, so it appears the Nationals are making a push to resolve the situation, as speculated by the Washington Post’s Adam Kilgore.
September 4, 2012; Washington, D.C., USA; Washington Nationals first baseman Adam LaRoche (25) singles in the first inning against the Chicago Cubs at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Joy R. Absalon-USA TODAY Sports
It was made apparent earlier this month that the Nationals are eager to bring LaRoche back, when manager Davey Johnson released a statement that he’d, “go to Kansas and take all his cattle to Florida ” in order to have him back.
The Nationals reportedly have a 2-year, $25-million offer on the table for LaRoche, with the bump in the road being LaRoche’s desire for a third year. However, it seems unlikely at this point that any team would be desperate enough to obtain him seeing as both Texas and Seattle have satisfied their respective needs for left-handed bats and Baltimore is “wary” of giving up a first-round pick to sign him.
With all of this being said, it really is hard to imagine LaRoche signing anywhere else. The one other suitor to really watch at this point is the Boston Red Sox, who could be swayed into paying up for LaRoche’s services in the event that their agreement with free-agent catcher/first baseman Mike Napoli falls through.
We’ll continue to follow this story as more news comes out.