Washington Nationals: Potential starting second base candidates in 2019
By Brian Foley
DJ LeMahieu
.275/.318/.425 – 11 HRs, 5 SBs
DJ LeMahieu is a two-time All-Star, a multiple Gold Glove award winner, and someone who received MVP votes just two years ago. But his reputation likely outweighs his actual production at this point in his career.
The long-time Rockie posted a 128 OPS+ in 2016 en route to a career year, but in his other seven MLB seasons, including 2018, LeMahieu is yet to post anything higher than a 94 OPS+ mark. He doesn’t really steal bases anymore. He swiped 23 bags in 2015 but has just 11 since the start of 2017.
Also, his power is only so-so, especially away from Coors Field. His career road OPS is over 150 points lower than his home mark, and he actually has better numbers against righties than lefties.
While he has been unable to match his 2016 offensive production, his defense is still a bonafide weapon. LeMahieu has recorded 13 defensive runs saved so far this year, bumping his career total up to 64.
But he recently hit 30 years old, and defensive regression tends to go hand-in-hand with age, particularly for a middle infielder. If his defense slips even a little bit over the course of a multi-year contract, and his bat worsens as expected when removed from the friendly confines at Coors, then whoever signs LeMahieu will be left with a replacement-level player on a sizable contract.
LeMahieu has been a remarkably consistent player for Colorado, but he doesn’t really move the needle much for the evolving Washington Nationals in 2019. Rizzo would be better off spending $10-$12 million per year on pitching help rather than forking it over to a player who is only a marginal upgrade on Difo.