After being spurned by Adam Dunn and Derrek Lee, the Nationals have turned their lonely eyes to Adam LaRoche.
According to Bill Ladson of MLB.com, the Nationals have offered LaRoche a two year contract. While the terms of the offer have not been disclosed, the annual average salary is believed to be in the $8-9M range. As I've mentioned previously, LaRoche is reportedly looking for a three year deal. but the Nationals seem unwilling to go beyond two seasons.
Last season, LaRoche produced a .261/.320/.468 (.339 wOBA) triple slash line despite playing half of his games at Chase Field, one of the most homer friendly ballparks in the majors. He's been a consistent 2.0 win player for the past five seasons, so he shouldn't have any problems providing enough value to justify his contract. Still, at 31 years old, LaRoche looks to be on the downside of his career. His plays spotty defense at the easiest position on the diamond, and he creates far too many outs due to his inability to draw walks and avoid strikeouts.
Considering LaRoche's lack of options, I don't see any reason for the Nationals to budge from their position. He probably should have accepted the three year offer he received from Baltimore a few weeks ago.
No comments:
Post a Comment