The Washington Nationals have a busy offseason ahead of them. As a part of that, they have agreed to a deal to retain a player of their own.
Report: Nationals Re-sign Chris Heisey
According to Jerry Crasnik, the Nationals and outfielder Chris Heisey have agreed to a one-year deal which will keep him in the nation’s capital for the 2017 season.
Chris Heisey has agreed to a one-year, $1.4 million contact with the #Nationals. Deal also includes performance bonuses.
— Jerry Crasnick (@jcrasnick) November 12, 2016
Last season, Heisey was a power bat off the bench. While he hit a low .216, Heisey had some pop, hitting nine home runs and driving in 17 runs. While his offense was an asset for the Nationals last season, his contract is very team friendly as well and will help them create a depth roster. His deal will also help give the Nationals some free agent relief.
Currently, the Nationals are in search of a catcher to potentially replace Wilson Ramos, as well as another outfielder and a closer.
Among catchers, Baltimore Orioles catcher Matt Wieters and Houston Astros catcher Jason Castro are two likely targets. However, catchers don’t hit the free agent market all too often, so both Wieters and Castro are bound to be overpaid.
When it comes to outfielders, New York Mets outfielder Yoenis Cespedes, Orioles outfielder Mark Trumbo, and Chicago Cubs center fielder Dexter Fowler headline the class. Much like the catcher position, outfielders are bound to be overpaid. In what is a generally weak free agent class, guys like Fowler could sign for a hefty sum, potentially north of $17 million a year. Yet, the most shocking contracts given out this free agent period will be at the closer position.
The Cubs Aroldis Chapman, the Los Angeles Dodgers Kenley Jansen, and the Nationals own Mark Melancon headline the closer market. All three are bound to get massive pay days, and Chapman has even been said to be looking for a deal north of $100 million.
With the free agent market bound to be pricey, re-signing Chris Heisey was a great move for the Nationals.
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