Dmitri Young may become a Nat

Dmitri Young is close to signing a minor league deal with the Washington Nationals.  The Nats already have Travis Lee around to play first while Nick Johnson recovers, but Young would certainly give them more pop while they wait.

Young struggled in limited time last year, but has always been a consistent source of power, and is only a few years removed from a sparkling .297/.372/.537 campaign back in '03 in Detroit.  I would've expect Young would find an AL home before he landed with an NL team, but Jim Bowden seems to like guys like this, as he signed Matt LeCroy last offseason.

UPDATE: Tony Batista has signed a minor league deal with the Nats, too.  He must not have gotten any good offers at all, because there are few teams likely to have less playing time for Batista than the Nats, unless Batista thinks he can sell himself as a shortstop.

By Jeff Sackmann
www.BrewCrewBall.com

Comments

[royaldaddy]

This is actually a good pickup for the Nats if they can somehow find playing time for him. You have to start Lee at first because his glove can't just sit the bench. That leaves open the possibility of Young in right with Kearnes in left. I wondered what happened to Young. This could be the steal of the offseason. I like what Young brings to the club.

[gatling]

Interesting, low risk pickups. With Felipe Lopez at SS, maybe Batista gets a look at 2B. He played there for 74 games for Oakland in 1996 and for another 20 over his career. At his age, I don't think SS is a wise choice, but if he could but up a .740 OPS at 2B, he wouldn't be much worse than Vidro was last year, but at a much lower cost.

I'd give Dimitri Young a good shot first base, if he can post an OPS around .800 he'd outhit Travis Lee, who should be a late inning defensive replacement. Once Johnson gets back, see if Young can handle a couple of starts a week in the outfield.

[Paul AKA twinsfan]

Bastista has no range his couldn't make a play 2 feet to either side last year with the Twins.

[Paul AKA twinsfan]

Bastista has no range he couldn't make a play 2 feet to either side last year with the Twins.