Former SRU slugger signs $4 million dollar deal with Nationals

Source: www.theonlinerocket.com --- Saturday, February 03, 2018
Seeking a big bat and backup first baseman, the Washington Nationals went with a man who has provided both throughout his six-year MLB career, Slippery Rock Baseball alumnus Matt Adams. The deal is for one year and $4 million dollars guaranteed, with an extra $500,000 available in incentives. “[The free market] wasn’t scary for him, he’s very confident in his abilities,” Slippery Rock head coach Jeff Messer said. “But there were nine first basemen looking for a job in the offseason, and there are still four or five looking.” Adams will replace 34-year old Adam Lind, who had a breakout season last year for the NL East champions. Adams batted .274 with 65 RBIs last year after being traded to the Braves partway through the season. “He’s behind a very good first basemen in Ryan Zimmerman, but [Zimmerman’s] first healthy year was last season, I think he is in a good place,” Messer said. “I think he could get a one, two or three-year deal if he puts up the same numbers as he did in Atlanta.” Adams also walloped 20 home runs in only 339 at-bats in a year where he specialized mostly as a fill-in first baseman when star player Freddie Freeman went down with an injury. “In addition to filling in for [Freeman], he got to […] I will say “explore” left field,” Messer said, laughing. “He’s not a gold glover by any means, but he can play in a pinch.” Even though Adams is now two teams removed from the Cardinals who originally drafted “Big City ...

from Baseball http://ift.tt/2nCnEoM