Washington Nationals: Predicting what their 12 free agents will do

Adam Lind

When Adam Lind signed with the Nats in mid-February, people believed he would battle Clint Robinson for the back-up first baseman job, but nobody could’ve predicted what he ended up doing.

Serving as Ryan Zimmerman‘s back-up, Lind was by far the best bench player in the league. Not known for his glove, he played respectable defense at both first base and left field.

However, Lind made the most impact at the plate. He got off to a tremendous start with a go-ahead homer on Opening Day, and never looked back. When all was said and done, he had a slash line of .303/.362/.513 to go with his 14 homers and 59 RBI’s. That’s not too shabby for a bench player.

While the Nats would love to have him back, his return is unlikely. With the way he played this year, he deserves to start somewhere. That is not something the Nats can offer him with Zimmerman coming off of a MVP-caliber season.

If Lind returns, he would be an enormous asset for the Nats. He has proven that he is comfortable coming off of the bench, and he would do a great job if he had to fill in long-term. Zimmerman remained healthy for most of 2017, but that is not something he has proven to be able to do. If he misses significant time in 2018, it would be great to be able to plug Lind in at first.

Re-signing Lind should be a priority for the Nats, but it is unlikely that he returns. If he does return, look for him to have another huge season.