Rosario consents to work with the Native Americans (source).
Florida’s WEST PALM BEACH — According to a source, the Nationals signed veteran Eddie Rosario to a Minor League contract on Wednesday, adding depth to their outfield. A physical is required before he can start earning the potential $4 million split contract. El Extrabase was the first to report on the agreement; the club has not yet confirmed it.
With nine years of experience, Rosario, 32, is a sought-after left-handed bat who can contribute to a young team. His most recent season with the Braves saw him bat.255 and hammer 21 home homers in 142 games. After the Braves rejected a $9 million option in November, Rosario became a free agent.
During his career, Rosario has played for Minnesota (2015-2020), Cleveland (’21), and Atlanta (’21-23), slashing.268/.305/.460 with a.755 OPS. With the Braves, he was voted NLCS MVP in 2021 and went on to win the World Series. His career postseason hitting average is.296.
With three weeks left in camp, Rosario offers the Nationals another option while they assess their outfield. He has spent much of his career playing in left field, where he finished the previous season with a.983 fielding % in 130 games and two outs above average.
With Stone Garrett still recovering from a broken left fibula suffered in August of last year, the Nationals do not have a lock in left field. Before the injury, Garrett appeared in 77 games (49 starts) in left field last season.
Dave Martinez, Garrett’s manager, stated on Wednesday that Garrett is making progress every day. “He’s feeling much better, but he still needs to check all the boxes. He’s staying on the ball and using his legs much more effectively when I watch him bat. It’s encouraging that he is now beginning to drive balls like we know he can, especially in right-center field. However, the main strategy that will get him on the field is to run the bases, go back out to play defense, and run back and forth to left field in between innings to see how he responds.
The Nationals arrived at camp with the option to choose a committee to fill the left-field position. The contenders to alternate between left field, first base, and DH are Joey Gallo, Joey Meneses, and Jesse Winker. Winker has been showing promise in a Minor League contract.
• Winker concentrates on maintaining her “incredibly good” feeling.
Last week, Martinez stated of Winker, “I see him playing left field if he makes the team.” “He wasn’t that horrible outside before he got hurt. He’s moving so much better because he’s shed so much weight. .. It would be fantastic if we could throw him as much toward left field as we can.
Prospects Dylan Crews (MLB No. 7, Nats No. 1), James Wood (MLB No. 14, Nats No. 2), and Robert Hassell III (Nats No. 8) at all three outfield spots have given Washington an idea of what to expect as it evaluates its outfield possibilities.
Garrett, Corey Dickerson (37 games), Alex Call (27 games), Jake Alu (24 games), Blake Rutherford (11 games), Travis Blankenhorn (eight games), and Ildemaro Vargas (six games) were the Nats’ left field depth last season.
