Washington Nationals: Seven free agent second baseman to consider
One the Washington Nationals last remaining needs this offseason is going to be at second base. We look at seven possible free agent options for that spot.
Despite coming into the offseason not believing they needed an upgrade at second base, the Washington Nationals‘ tune has changed. Now they seem to be actively reaching out to second base free agents to see whether they will be worth bringing in.
At the start of the offseason, General Manager Mike Rizzo told the Washington Post that “We like our situation in the middle of the infield with Trea [Turner] and Howie and Difo and [Carter] Kieboom in the wings. We got [Luis] Garcia in the wings that we don’t feel is far away.”
But there have now been several reports of the team reaching out multiple times to multiple different free agents. So even if publicly the front office says they like where they’re at, they appear to at least be exhausting all possible avenues for an upgrade.
However, it may not be as simple as just going for the best available player for second base. As Rizzo says, the team has top prospect Carter Kieboom nearly major league ready and even the highly-rated Luis Garcia lurking a year or two away.
Therefore, the Nationals will probably be after an option who will either be just a one-year stopgap to their prospects or someone with the versatility to play multiple positions. Doing so means that there won’t be anyone blocking the team’s best prospects when they’re ready for the show.
However, in the here-and-now, it certainly wouldn’t hurt to have a short-term upgrade. Howie Kendrick and Wilmer Difo can both do a job, but they hardly move the needle for the offense.
So, let’s take a look at some of the players out there on the open market that the Nats could explore. The first player we look at in this list is the one that they’ve been connected in the most recent rumors.
Brian Dozier
We kick off our list of free agent second baseman with the man who some have at the top of their wishlist. Brian Dozier and the Washington Nationals appear to be a perfect fit this offseason if the team does indeed pursue a short-term upgrade.
Dozier was one of the key players that helped the Minnesota Twins make the Wildcard Game in 2017. He was a key veteran presence and appeared set for a big payday this offseason when his contract expired.
Before 2018, the veteran hit .251 with a solid .780 OPS with 151 homers 439 RBI and 90 stolen bases over six seasons. He even placed in the MVP voting three years running between 2015 and 2017, proving just how important he was to that team.
However, he’s now coming off of arguably the worst season of his career in 2018. He slashed a lowly .215/.305/.391 with 21 home runs and 72 RBI while playing for the Twins and Los Angeles Dodgers in 2018.
After the down season, many outlets are now predicting a one-year pillow contract that may get him a more lucrative deal next season. In Jon Heyman’s recent contract predictions, both he and his expert predicted a pillow deal, one at $6.5 million and one at $9 million.
Dozier was one of the names that Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post reported the Nats have expressed interest in. Of the one-year options, Dozier definitely seems like the best, so given the team’s interest, it could certainly happen.
Neil Walker
If the Washington Nationals are looking for the most cost-effective option at second, then Neil Walker could certainly come up in that conversation. The former New York Yankee would add a steady veteran presence to the lineup to help bridge the gap to Carter Kieboom.
Walker is coming off of a poor season in the Bronx where he slashed a measly .219/.309/.354 with 11 long balls and 46 RBI. All of those figures are the worst of his career, not including a 17-game cameo at the end of the 2009 season.
But throughout his career, he’s been well regarded as a consistent hitter and impressive on-base player. Between 2010 and 2017, he posted a slash line of .273/.342/.439 and even won a Silver Slugger award in 2014. He’s still a good bat to have in a lineup.
Also, over the last two seasons, Walker has played first and third base, as well as his natural second base. That will definitely hold him in slightly higher regard given the need to have a bit more flexibility on their team.
In Heyman’s contract predictions he and his expert both had one-year pacts for Walker at $4 million and $2 million respectively. While he would only be a marginal upgrade on Kendrick and Difo, the cost could make him a worthwhile choice to help the team get to Kieboom.
Jed Lowrie
After helping to guide the Oakland Athletics back to the postseason in 2018, Jed Lowrie would be an excellent option for the Washington Nationals. Yet another versatile option, the switch-hitter is coming off of arguably the best year of his career so far.
Lowrie always seems to play at his best in Oakland and that proved true again in 2018 with a .267/.353/.448 slash line and a career-high 23 home runs. If he can hit 23 bombs while calling the cavernous Oakland Coliseum home, he could potentially hit even more elsewhere.
Last year, he was an All-Star and even finished 20th in the American League MVP voting, so make no mistake, he’s among the high-end options on the market this winter.
The fact that’s a switch-hitter too should help balance the Nationals’ lineup, which is short of a batter who hits left-handed against right-handed pitching after the departure of Bryce Harper.
Lowrie also has the versatility of other players on this list, as he’s played all across the infield during his career. At this point in his career, he definitely profiles better at the keystone compared to other positions, but if injury struck Trea Turner or Anthony Rendon, he could still step in.
This time in the Jon Heyman contract projections, it looks like two-year deals may be the way to go. One prediction was for $22 million, with an $11 million AAV and the other was for $15 million for $7.5 million AAV, which could end up being in the Nationals price range.
Josh Harrison
One of the other versatile names that the Washington Nationals have been linked with this offseason is Josh Harrison. The Pittsburgh Pirates declined his $10 million option for the 2019 season, making him a free agent and the Nats could pounce.
Throughout his career, Harrison has hit an impressive .277 with a .725 OPS, which equates to a slightly below average OPS+ of 97. The two-time All-Star has shown plenty of upside in his career though, even finishing ninth in the 2014 NL MVP race.
He doesn’t just provide a nice bat in the lineup though, he also has similar versatility to Jed Lowrie who covered in the previous slide. He’s played second and third base as well as both corner outfield spots, all at a solid level too. So should he sign with the Nats, they could plug and play him wherever there’s a spot if a player needs a break.
Just like Brian Dozier, the Washington Post’s Jesse Dougherty reported that the Nationals have shown interest in Harrison. The former Pirate’s name has come up a few times this offseason and could be an option if the team wants to look for versatility in a new second baseman.
Once again, we look at the contract predictions by Jon Heyman, who has Harrison earning a two-year deal worth between $5 million and $6 million. That sort of price range would seem to fit the Nationals if they get priced out of a player like Lowrie.
Asdrubal Cabrera
After a season in which he played for two different NL East teams, Asdrubal Cabrera could be set for a reunion with the Washington Nationals in 2019. He’s one of the options that’s not been talked about as much but could be one of the more productive.
Back in 2014, the Nationals acquired Cabrera for the last two months of the season in exchange for Zach Walters. So the front office will clearly value his skillset to some degree, even though he’s a slightly different player to the one he was back then.
When the Nats first acquired him he was a fairly slick-fielding full-time shortstop who made the move to second base. However, since then he’s lost some of his athleticism but gained a lot more power and could be a nice fit at second base.
Over the last four seasons, Cabrera has slashed a respectable .272/.329/.450 with 75 homers, reaching at least 14 homers in each season. The power is most notable, as the Nationals will certainly need to replace the void in that area left by Harper with several players stepping up, including potentially Cabrera.
While Cabrera is no longer as much of a defensive asset as he once was, he can at least be serviceable at multiple positions. He saw significant time at second base, shortstop and third base in 2018 with the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies, so could step in at any if need be.
Jon Heyman and his expert both predicted a $7 million annual average for Cabrera this offseason, which could potentially end up being a bargain. However, they differed on the number of years, going for one and two years respectively. That may be a little steep for a stopgap, but the bat is certainly appealing here.
DJ LeMahieu
Of the seven options listed in this article, it’s now looking like DJ LeMahieu is the least likely to be with the Washington Nationals next year. However, depending on how the rest of the offseason plays out, he’s still a possibility.
As we’ve talked about a few times, there are going to be several concerns from other teams about whether LeMahieu can sustain his production away from Coors Field.
In his career, he’s hit .329 at Coors with a positive .834 OPS, however, these come via an extremely high .374 BABIP. That sort of figure is sustainable in Colorado, but outside the thin atmosphere in Denver, it seems a lot less likely.
So when you look at his road numbers during his time as a Rockie, it’s a very underwhelming .264/.312/.365 slash line. While LeMahieu’s glove can make up some of the value, it seems like a risky investment for anyone hoping he can sustain his career numbers.
Again, we look at Heyman’s predictions, to get a sense of cost for the former Rockie. His expert predicted a four-year, $50 million contract while Heyman predicted a three-year $36 million deal.
Jesse Dougherty from the Washington Post noted that the Nationals have had interest in LeMahieu this offseason. However, he says that the team believes he will now be too expensive for the team to fill their need at the keystone. While that doesn’t rule him out given the team’s previous interest, unless the price or years comes down, it probably won’t happen.
Derek Dietrich
Derek Dietrich has long been considered one of those pesky hitters that the Washington Nationals have faced throughout the years. However, he’s now available on the open market after the Miami Marlins non-tendered him instead of offering arbitration this offseason.
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Dietrich has hit a solid .254 in his career, as well as a .757 OPS in his six-year career in the major leagues. He’s also hit 10 homers and driven in 25 runs in only 72 games against the Nationals, so they could do with him on their side for once.
You may have noticed a theme developing throughout the list, but we looked for more versatile players. Dietrich is no different, having played first, second and third base along with both corner outfield spots for the Marlins in his career.
He also provides another solid left-handed bat in the lineup and would essentially make a perfect platoon option with Howie Kendrick. If they could secure Dietrich on a two-year deal, it could also allow them to play things safe at the big league level with their top prospects.
While there are no contract projections for Dietrich, last year he earned $2.9 million with the Marlins, so he can probably be expected to earn something a little bit more than that in free agency. What’s not clear is whether he will want a multi-year deal, which could potentially play into the Nats’ hands if the annual average is right.
Next. Ranking the Nationals' remaining needs. dark
The Washington Nationals long-term outlook at second base is much better than the short-term outlook. They would be wise to consider all of the options mentioned in this article in order to get an immediate upgrade at arguably their weakest offensive position.