On Wednesday, January 8, the Nationals signed veteran infielder Amed Rosario to a one-year, $2 million major league contract. At such an affordable pay rate, it seems like the plan would be for Rosario to serve as a backup with positional versatility, similar to the role that previously belonged to Ildemaro Vargas.
A true reserve role would not align with Rosario's resume, though. Aside from last season, during which he started only 81 games, Rosario has been an everyday player for his entire major league career. Is it possible that he'll be a fixture in Washington's lineup in 2025?
Last year was a struggle for Rosario. In 2024 (and for most of his career), he was a below-average hitter who noticeably struggled defensively. As a 28-year-old in 2024, Rosario batted .280 with three home runs and 24 extra-base hits, nine walks and 73 strikeouts in 346 plate appearances. Throughout his eight-year career, he's posted a batting average between .250 and .290 in each individual season, and he's consistently been an aggressive hitter with a low walk rate.
Defensively, Rosario logged at least 100 innings (roughly 11 full games) at four different positions. He primarily appeared at second base and right field, but also contributed at shortstop and third base. This was very different from the rest of his career prior to 2024, as more than 90 percent of his reps had been at shortstop. However, he's been a significantly below-average defender throughout his career, and that continued last season.
All told, Rosario was worth -0.1 wins above replacement last year. He was also designated for assignment twice (by the Dodgers in August and the Reds following the season). His time in Tampa Bay prior to the trade deadline was more favorable at the plate, but his defensive woes held true all season.
Despite performing relatively poorly for the last two years, he was a 4.2 WAR player in 2022 with the Cleveland Guardians and was worth between 2-3 wins above replacement in 2019 and 2021 for the New York Mets. He was also widely regarded as a top 10 prospect leaguewide prior to debuting in the majors with the Mets in 2017. Therefore, it wouldn't be surprising if Rosario still views himself as an everyday player, even though his recent production suggests otherwise.
With that in mind, my suspicion is that the Nationals agreed to give him an opportunity to play every day, whereas the rest of the league wanted him to serve as a backup. Perhaps Washington honored his 2022 season and is more forgiving of his recent struggles, especially since they don't have a starting caliber third baseman and have many question marks throughout their roster.
The Nationals have been known to give opportunities to players who used to carry appeal but have struggled recently. Think about Joey Gallo last year, or even Jesse Winker and Eddie Rosario (who were initially signed to minor league contracts). The same goes for Jeimer Candelario, Dominic Smith and Corey Dickerson (who retired earlier this week) in 2023, and there are plenty of other examples since 2019. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't, but Washington has used multiple players like this each season in everyday roles, with the hope of being able to trade them for minor league prospects.
There are numerous desirable hitters still available in the free agent market, including third baseman Alex Bregman. However, it can't be forgotten that the Nationals haven't spent big in free agency in quite some time. They also turned to relatively cheap options at first base (Nathaniel Lowe) and designated hitter (Josh Bell).
It seems to me that they have moved on from actively pursuing players at the top of the market, and have now pivoted to the best of the rest. That's not to say they can't circle back to more expensive options if they stay unsigned and their asking prices decline to a certain level, but I wouldn't hold my breath.
Furthermore, Davey Martinez likes to give opportunities to veterans. He may not be ready to count on Jose Tena in a full-time role or turn the keys over to Brady House. Maybe he still doesn't have a ton of faith in Luis Garcia Jr against left-handed pitchers. In fact, the Nationals are very lefty-dominant throughout the infield.
If the plan is to use Rosario as a true backup or platoon hitter against left-handed pitchers, this signing makes plenty of sense. If they view him as more than that, it's likely a mistake. And of course, adding Rosario shouldn't be an excuse to stop adding to the roster.
What do you think of Washington's latest acquisition? As always, you can let me know at @stephen_newman1 on X.