The Washington Nationals signed veteran outfielder Nate McLouth to a two-year deal worth $10.8 million with a third-year option. Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun reported the deal.
McLouth revitalized his career with the Baltimore Orioles after struggling in 2010 and 2011 with the Atlanta Braves and then being released by the Pittsburgh Pirates after hitting .140 to start the 2012 season.
The Orioles picked up the 32 year-old outfielder, and he produced a .268/.342/.435 line over the remainder of the 2012 season.
With the Nationals, McLouth will be the fourth outfielder behind Jayson Werth, Bryce Harper, and Denard Span. Given the injury history of Werth and Harper, McLouth should see significant at-bats, particularly if Span ends up being traded.
Overall, McLouth is an excellent addition to a Nationals team that should be a serious contender in 2014. He’s an excellent baserunner, and while he’s not great on defense, he has the flexibility to fill in at all three outfield positions. Furthermore, he hits righthanded pitching well. His career line against righties is .260/.345/.441 for a 109 wRC+.
It’s been a busy offseason for the Nationals, who made a big splash by trading for Doug Fister, a move that bolstered an already excellent rotation. The addition of McLouth adds depth to an outfield that gave 345 plate appearances to Roger Bernadina and Tyler Moore when Harper and Werth missed time with injuries. That combination gave them -1.4 fWAR.
Nelson Cruz and Carlos Beltran might be the big name outfielders still available on the free agent market. However, McLouth produced slightly more fWAR in 2013 than either of them.
This is a similar move to the one the Tampa Bay Rays made by picking up David DeJesus, who was a National for a couple days last year. McLouth and DeJesus aren’t big names, but they’re solid veteran players who can play an important role on a contending team.
