After watching the team’s bench unit struggle mightily in 2013, Friday general manager Mike Rizzo took a step to improve this area of the team, signing outfielder Nate McLouth to a 2-year contract worth $10.75 million, with a club option for 2016 at $6.5 million. A veteran left-handed batter and versatile defender, the 32-year-old McLouth is expected to serve as the team’s 4th outfielder behind Bryce Harper, Denard Span, and Jayson Werth next season.
Nate McLouth spent last season playing up I-95 for the Orioles, hitting .258/.329/.399 with 12 home runs and 30 stolen bases in 146 games, while primarily playing left field. For his 9-year career, McLouth is a .250/.334/.410 hitter with 100 home runs, 129 stolen bases, and a 2008 all-star game appearance. Particularly intriguing about McLouth is his success against right-handed pitching as a career .260/.345/.441 hitter and his skills on the bases, with an 84.8% conversion rate on his stolen base opportunities. In addition, McLouth is a versatile defensive outfielder capable of playing all three outfield positions, though he is best suited for left field. Talented enough to act as a team’s starting outfielder or the strong side of a platoon, McLouth profiles as an ideal backup outfielder.
As fitting with Mike Rizzo’s modus operandi, there were no rumors of interest in McLouth before news of his signing broke, yet the fit for both the player and the team makes so much sense I am surprised we did not hear rumors tying him to Washington. The Nationals bench was atrocious in 2013, providing the team with approximately negative 4 WAR (Wins Above Replacement), and the team desperately needed a left-handed hitting reserve with some power.
Enter Nate McLouth, a veteran outfielder who will serve as a rather expensive insurance policy for the Nationals the next two seasons backing up the somewhat injury-plagued outfield of Harper, Span, and Werth. In a perfect world, the starters each play 150+ games in 2014, and McLouth carves out 200 at-bats as their backup and late game pinch hitter. However, if a lengthy injury occurs to Harper, Span, or Werth, the combination of Scott Hairston and Nate McLouth would form a productive platoon, something the trio of Roger Bernadina, Steve Lombardozzi, and Tyler Moore were unable to do in 2013.
My only reservation with this signing is the effect paying more than $5 million per season to a reserve has on the National’s payroll, as the team still needs help in the bullpen and on the bench. In a vacuum, this signing is a slightly expensive, but not an unreasonable contract for a starting-quality outfielder in this market, and fills a pressing need for the Nationals. If the terms of this deal do not prohibit them from acquiring a left-handed reliever and a backup catcher before opening day, the Nationals were wise to sign McLouth and have appreciably improved their roster for next season.
NatsGM Grade -> B-