MARCH 31: Robinson has accepted an assignment to Triple-A after clearing waivers, the club announced.
MARCH 28: The Nationals have placed first baseman Clint Robinson on outright waivers, Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com reports on Twitter. That opens a 40-man spot and also seemingly resolves the competition between Robinson and recent signee Adam Lind, who’ll presumably back up Ryan Zimmerman at first base, function as a lefty bench bat, and perhaps even see some time in the corner outfield.
This had long seemed the likely result, as the Nats have little use for both Robinson and Lind, the latter of whom had secured a guaranteed contract over the winter and has a much longer track record of MLB success. Whether or not the organization will end up with an opportunity to hold onto Robinson in the upper minors remains to be seen, but for now the team will allow a more versatile player to take the final bench role. It seems that outfielder Michael Taylor and infielder Wilmer Difo are battling for the final job.
Robinson, 32, had gone to the major league plate just 14 times before he joined the Nats in 2015. But he won a job in camp and ended up playing a significant role for the club. Over 352 plate appearances that year, he slashed a robust .272/.358/.424 with ten home runs while recording only 52 strikeouts against 37 walks. But Robinson produced more soft contact and less line drives last year, slumping to a .235/.305/.332 slash that just wasn’t enough, particularly given his lack of value on the bases and in the field.
