The Washington Nationals are reportedly signing former NLCS MVP Eddie Rosario to a one-year deal. The outfielder figures to be the final addition the Nationals make with the regular season less than one month away. The full details of the signing are not available yet.
What is known is that it is a $4 million deal with incentives. It's unclear what the incentives in Eddie Rosario's new contract are, though. Daniel Alvarez-Montes broke the story and the deal, which is pending a physical.
He said on X, formerly known as Twitter:
"The Washington Nationals are in agreement with OF Eddie Rosario. It is a split contract in which he could earn up to $4M with incentives. The deal is pending a physical, sources tell El Extrabase."
Rosario, with this new deal, will get to stay in the division. He has spent the last two and a half seasons in the NL East with the Atlanta Braves, and he will now spend this upcoming season in the nation's capital with their rival Nationals.
Rosario began his career with the Minnesota Twins before eventually finding his second home in Atlanta, where he was a key cog in their postseason success, including winning NLCS MVP as they went on to the World Series (which they won) in 2021.
Where does Eddie Rosario fit with Nationals?
Eddie Rosario can be an impact player for the Nationals. It wasn't an incredible 2023 season for him, but he was a solid contributor who earned 1.1 bWAR and hit .255. He also added 21 home runs.
The Washington outfield has Lane Thomas, Alex Call and Corey Dickerson, as well as a banged up Stone Garrett. That is somewhere that Rosario can slide in. If he impresses in spring, it wouldn't be a shock to see him bumped into the lineup.
However, even if that doesn't happen, it seems very likely that he will be their fourth outfielder and one of the first players off the bench this season. The Nationals could get a lot of value out of their $4 million investment.