Nationals: Two Contingency Plans For Third Base

Washington lacks a contingency plan for third base.

All off-season, manager Dave Martinez has reiterated his faith in Washington’s former top prospect Carter Kieboom. The 23-year-old was seen as the future at third base for Washington, but has yet to get going at the major league level. The hype surrounding Kieboom was understandable, after all, he raked at Triple-A, finishing with a slash line of .303/.409/.493. But in 99 at-bats in the MLB, Kieboom is hitting a measly .181, with two homers, 11 RBIs, and an OPS of .541. Defensively, Kieboom is learning third base on the fly, with his natural position of short blocked by Trea Turner. In 2020, Kieboom was a pleasant surprise at the hot corner, posting five DRS.

After his disastrous 2020 campaign, it was reported that Kieboom was suffering from a groin tear during the season and also underwent Lasik surgery. Entering Spring, hopes were high for Kieboom because now he was fully healthy. Sadly, the results have been lackluster. In 35 at-bats, he is hitting .171, with one RBI, 11 strikeouts, and an OPS of .502. While he has looked lost at the plate for the majority of the Spring, Kieboom has hit a double in each of his last two games, hinting that he is finally seeing the ball better.

The front office is putting their faith in Kieboom, deciding against a backup plan in case the youngster struggles. While loyalty is appreciated, this may have been a mistake. Washington’s lineup is nowhere near as potent compared to years past and will be reliant on everyone contributing. If Kieboom continues to struggle, this will hamper Washington, who will be battling it out in the league’s toughest division. I personally would love to see Washington stick with Kieboom and allow the youngster a full opportunity to prove himself. But with the team in win-now mode, they cannot afford a slow start. With that said, here are two contingent plans for third base in case Kieboom starts out slow.

Option 2

Move Castro to third. Start Garcia at second. Send Kieboom back to the minors.

Because Starlin Castro is the projected starter at second, Luis Garcia is currently blocked. However, sliding Castro to third would allow for Garcia to crack the starting lineup. In return, similar to option one, Kieboom would be sent down to rebuild his confidence and work on his defense at third.

Garcia has been inconsistent at the plate this Spring, hitting a disappointing .138, with three RBIs, and an OPS of .458. However, he has flashed impressive plate discipline, drawing six walks, and only striking out twice. Washington has high hopes for the second baseman, especially after he impressed after being called up during the 2020 season. In 134 at-bats last year, Garcia hit .276, with two homers, 16 RBIs, and an OPS of .668. He lacked power, but was able to get on base at a consistent rate. His defense was an entirely different matter. Despite his slow Spring, Garcia has proven in the past he can hit. Adding him to the lineup adds some much-needed consistency towards the bottom.

Throughout his 11 year career, Castro has been nothing but steady at the plate. In his career, he is hitting .280, with 135 homers, 640 RBIs, and an OPS of .733. Last year, he was Washington’s most consistent hitter not named Trea Turner or Juan Soto. The lineup took a major step back after he broke his wrist. Having him back will help stabilize the bottom of the lineup, but the move to third is a different matter. Castro has only spent 45 games at third and would basically be learning a new position on the fly. He is a natural middle infielder, spending the majority of his career at second and short. However, Martinez has started handing Castro reps at third.

This option is the least likely to occur due to Garcia’s recent struggles at the plate. Two weeks ago, Garcia looked ready to start for Washington, but now, not so much.