Washington Nationals: Predicting what their 12 free agents will do

Jose Lobaton

Serving as the Nats’ back-up catcher since 2014, Jose Lobaton is one of the most beloved players on the team. His dugout antics and sense of humor have made him one of the most entertaining players to watch.

Lobaton has also been a phenomenal defensive catcher and was Gio Gonzalez‘s personal catcher for a few seasons. In addition to Gonzalez, many pitchers loved pitching to Lobaton.

However, Lobaton’s offense has always been something to be desired. He has come up with some clutch hits, including a huge homer in the 2016 NLDS, but has largely been unspectacular at the plate.

In 2017, Lobaton’s defense also regressed some. Because of this, he had a -0.6 WAR, according to FanGraphs. What this means is that he played below replacement level.

While Lobaton is loved by everyone, he may not be worth bringing back. At 33 years old, he is not getting any younger and is beginning to decline.

Unfortunately, Pedro Severino and Raudy Read are not yet ready to be full-time big leaguers, so the Nats would need to acquire a new back-up catcher if they let Lobaton walk. If they are not able to acquire a new back-up catcher, Lobaton would be worth bringing back on a one-year deal.

Lobaton is not what he once was and had the worst season of his career in 2017, which may lead to him playing elsewhere in 2018, but bringing him back on a one-year deal could be beneficial.