The Nationals have avoided arbitration with backstop Wilson Ramos, according to a team announcement. He’ll earn $5.35MM in 2016, according to a tweet from Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com.
Entering the offseason, MLBTR projected the veteran receiver to earn $5.3MM through arbitration, just shy of the amount agreed upon. He played last season at a $3.55MM salary.
Set to reach free agency after the season, Ramos will look to improve upon a disappointing 2015 campaign. While he stayed healthy, which had been a significant issue in recent years, Ramos slashed just .229/.258/.358 over 504 plate appearances. Though he swatted 15 home runs, that overall line was down significantly from the .269/.317/.432 career batting line he carried going into the season.
Ramos is generally regarded as a solid-but-unspectacular defensive catcher. He rated as a slightly-below-average framer last year, though he’s had positive numbers in past seasons. And Ramos did throw out 24 baserunners while permitting thirty stolen bases in 2015, marking his best rate as a big leaguer.
It’s worth noting that he was even worse in the second half, slashing .197/.225/.317 after the All-Star Break. He was saved by the fact that the Nationals have nobody else on the depth chart behind him who’s actually hit well at the Major League level before.
That’s why we should try to get LaCroy
Despite the disappointing season, Capps for Ramos is still my favorite Rizzo trade. Absolute steal.
It’s still possible for Ramos to make an adjustment, he struck out a lot more last year than in the past, something was probably going on there. It wouldn’t surprise me if he screwed up his power with all the stuff he tried to do to stay healthy for a whole season. The trouble is there’s no real reason to play Lobaton more unless the starter wants it.