Nationals: Two Contingency Plans For Third Base
Option 1
Start Josh Harrison. Send Kieboom back to the minors/bench
One of the first moves Mike Rizzo made this off-season was re-signing the versatile Josh Harrison. The two-time All-Star has played 1,917.2 innings at third, posting 23 DRS. Defensively, Harrison is declining, but can still hold down the position. In 2020, he had posted a 1.8 UZR and one DRS.
Offensively, Harrison will be an instant upgrade over Kieboom. During his 10 year career, Harrison is hitting .273, with 56 homers, 291 RBIs, and an OPS of .715. Never known for his power, Harrison has excelled at getting on base, seen by his modest .352 OBP. Last year in 79 at-bats, he hit .278, with three homers, 14 RBIs, and an OPS of .769. The veteran would be a stopgap while Kieboom gathers himself.
Starting Harrison allows Washington to do one of two things with Kieboom. First, they can use him off of the bench, but sending him back to the minors would be the smarter option. Kieboom’s confidence has taken a hit and a trip to Triple-A would allow for the youngster to get his mindset. In the minors, he can tweak his mechanics at the plate, while also becoming more comfortable at third.
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.
Davey Martinez says Starlin Castro began taking grounders at 3B a few days ago, asked him if he was ready to play a game, Castro said yes. Reiterated no decision has been made yet, but that Carter Kieboom "needs to compete." Certainly hasn't locked up the starting job.
— Mark Zuckerman (@MarkZuckerman) March 23, 2021
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.