The Nationals introduced Wednesday that they’ve signed infielder Amed Rosario to a one-year contract. Proper-hander Joan Adon was designated for project to create space on the roster. Rosario will earn $2MM on the deal, stories Jon Heyman of the New York Put up. He’s represented by Octagon.
Rosario, 29, was a stable common in Cleveland from 2021-22, serving because the Guardians’ on a regular basis shortstop and posting a mixed .282/.316/.406 batting line (106 wRC+) with terrific baserunning however subpar protection at his place. He fell into a chronic stoop in 2023 and was ultimately designated for project and traded to the Dodgers, for whom he crammed a utility function down the stretch. He signed on with the Rays on a $1.5MM deal to carry down an identical multi-position function in 2024 earlier than once more being traded to the Dodgers on the deadline. His second stint in L.A. lasted solely days, nonetheless, as he was designated for project and landed with the Reds thereafter.
Over the previous two seasons, Rosario has nonetheless managed to hit .270 because of his pace and bat-to-ball expertise, however it’s been a hole batting common accompanied by paltry marks in on-base proportion (.305) and slugging proportion (.379). He’s primarily been a singles hitter who does most of his harm towards lefties whereas contributing shaky protection at a number of positions. Defensive Runs Saved and Outs Above Common have each panned his work at shortstop for a while, and he’s since dabbled at second base, third base and in all three outfield positions. Second base is the one place at which he’s drawn satisfactory grades by measure of these two public metrics.
Although it’s been a lackluster couple years for Rosario throughout, he nonetheless possesses plus pace (91st percentile of MLB gamers, per Statcast) and confirmed improved life on his throws final yr (72nd percentile arm power). He attracts poor grades for his vary regardless of that footspeed. Rosario has fanned in 19.3% of his plate appearances since 2023 — proper according to his profession 19.6% mark. He’s all however allergic to drawing a stroll, evidenced by a profession 4.3% fee and a career-low 2.6% mark in 2024. Nonetheless, he makes sufficient contact and runs so properly that he’s able to sustaining high quality batting averages on the very least.
With the Nats, Rosario once more figures to slip right into a utility function. Washington has Luis Garcia Jr. at second base and CJ Abrams at shortstop. Rosario might issue into the competitors at third base, the place Jose Tena and Trey Lipscomb are additionally within the combine for the Opening Day job. Nonetheless, prospects Brady Home and Cayden Wallace are each within the higher minors. Home, a former first-round choose and consensus top-100 prospect, hit properly in Double-A final yr however struggled in his first publicity to Triple-A pitching. Wallace, acquired on the deadline within the commerce sending Hunter Harvey to the Royals, topped out in Double-A and is a bit additional behind Home in his minor league development. With a robust begin to the season, both might plausibly discover his option to the majors and earn a take a look at the new nook.
It’s additionally believable that Rosario could possibly be deployed in an easy platoon with Garcia. He’s a profession .298/.337/.460 hitter towards southpaws in comparison with Garcia’s lifetime .250/.269/.356 slash towards lefties. Garcia has been much better towards righties, hitting .277/.313/.428 in his profession — together with a personal-best .288/.326/.469 throughout final yr’s breakout season.
Washington’s signing of Rosario will come on the expense of the 26-year-old Adon, who’s pitched for the Nats in every of the previous 4 seasons. A 2016 worldwide signee out of the Dominican Republic, Adon has logged 132 1/3 innings within the majors however by no means discovered consistency; he carries a profession 6.66 ERA with a 19% strikeout fee, 11.3% stroll fee and 45.3% ground-ball fee. He ranked as extremely as No. 7 amongst Nationals’ prospects again in 2022, per Baseball America.
Adon averages practically 95 mph on his heater and has been a sturdy rotation member within the higher minors, however he’s by no means replicated the robust 2019 season that put him on the prospect map within the first place. He’s had some work as a reliever within the minors lately, and he has sufficient velocity as a starter to create some intrigue about how he’d work as a power-armed bullpen piece. Command has been a constant challenge for the massive righty, nonetheless, and he’s out of minor league choices — that means the Nats would’ve needed to carry him on the Opening Day roster or else designate him for project just a few months from now anyway.
Washington can have 5 days to commerce Adon. At that time, he’d must be positioned on waivers (a 48-hour course of). If he clears, he could possibly be retained as non-roster depth. Inside per week’s time, he’ll know the result of right this moment’s DFA.
