Washington Nationals: Predicting the 2018 bench

Howie Kendrick

The Nats acquired Howie Kendrick from the Philadelphia Phillies at the trade deadline in 2017, and he did a great job off of the bench for the Nats. In 91 games throughout 2017, Kendrick owned a .315/.368/.475 slash line to go with nine homers and 12 stolen bases.

In addition to producing offensively, Kendrick also provides quite a bit of defensive versatility. The veteran is a natural second baseman, but he can play outfield as well. In 2017, he played first base, second base, left field, and right field.

Between Kendrick’s offensive prowess, defensive versatility, and veteran presence, he is an extremely valuable asset off of the bench and in the clubhouse. If Kendrick is interested in returning to the Nats, they should absolutely take him up on it.

Unfortunately, Kendrick is currently a free agent and should garner lots of interest. He is capable of being a starter somewhere, so he may get offers that include more playing time and money.

However, at 34, Kendrick is getting older and may not have many more seasons left in him. The Nats are one of the best teams in the league and are in a great position to win now, so re-signing with the Nats may be his best opportunity to get a ring.

Kendrick could also get more playing time than a typical bench player with the Nats due to a couple injuries. Murphy is coming off of knee surgery and may not be ready for the start of the season, so Kendrick could see a lot of time at second base early in the year.

Adam Eaton is also coming off of major knee surgery, so the Nats may want to ease him back into things in 2018. Eaton will presumably play left field, so Kendrick could give him some additional off-days to ensure a full recovery.

Kendrick has discussed his desire to win a World Series, and the Nats provide a great opportunity to potentially do so, so he may return in 2018. If he does return to the Nats in 2018, he will be an enormous asset off of the bench.