6 Available Players Still Within Reach of Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals landed two offseason targets in the last couple of weeks.
First, the Nationals acquired Doug Fister in a four-player blockbuster trade with the Detroit Tigers on Dec. 2, according to CBS Sports.
Four days later, the Nats signed free-agent outfielder Nate McLouth, formerly of the Baltimore Orioles, according to Dan Connolly of The Baltimore Sun.
So, who will the Nationals target next? Expect a lot of southpaws, according to MLBTradeRumors.com.
Here are six available players still within reach of the Washington Nationals. Players are listed in reverse chronological order from when they were reported to be a target of the Nationals.
Note: All statistics courtesy of MLB.com unless noted otherwise.
1. Eric Chavez, 3B
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According to a report by Jon Heyman of CBS Sports on Tuesday, the Nationals are one of seven teams interested in veteran third baseman Eric Chavez.
Chavez played in 80 games for the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2013 and hit .281 in 288 at-bats with nine home runs, 44 RBI and 28 runs scored. The Angeleno had 19 walks and 45 strikeouts for a .332 on-base percentage and compiled a .478 slugging percentage.
Chavez just turned 36, and has played 16 MLB seasons. He has a career batting average of .268 in 5,449 at-bats over 1,571 games, with 257 home runs, 894 RBI and 810 runs scored to go with an .810 OPS.
Additionally, Chavez has a career fielding percentage of .970 at third base with a range factor of 2.70. He won six consecutive AL Gold Gloves at the 'hot corner', from 2001 to 2006.
Chavez earned $3 million in a one-year deal with Arizona for the 2013 season, according to Cot's Baseball Contracts.
2. Scott Downs, RP
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The Nationals are interested in Atlanta Braves left-handed reliever Scott Downs, according to Bill Ladson of MLB.com on Dec. 5.
Downs went 4-4 in 2013 with a 2.49 ERA in 43.1 innings over 68 appearances. He had no saves in four opportunities, walked 19, struck out 37, had a 1.48 WHIP and teams batted .276 against him.
For his 16-year career, Downs is 38-36 with a 3.48 ERA in 713.1 innings, 564 appearances and 50 starts, with 26 saves in 52 opportunities. The 37-year-old has 259 walks and 550 strikeouts with a a 1.33 WHIP. Opponents have batted .254 against him.
Downs began last season with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, earning $5 million in the final year of a three-year deal, according to Cot's Baseball Contracts.
3. Eric O'Flaherty, RP
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Scott Downs is not the only Atlanta lefty who the Nationals are interested in.
According to Adam Kilgore of The Washington Post, the Nats are also pursuing southpaw reliever Eric O'Flaherty.
The 28-year-old went 3-0 with a 2.50 ERA in 19 games and 18 innings pitched with one blown save. He walked five, struck out 11 and surrendered a .188 batting average against to other teams while compiling a 0.94 WHIP. Due to an injury, O'Flaherty's last appearance came on May 17.
In his 10-year career, O'Flaherty has gone 20-9 with a 2.85 ERA in 319.1 innings over 373 games and has 12 blown saves. He has 111 walks and 245 strikeouts with a .241 opponents' batting average and a 1.24 WHIP.
O'Flaherty made $4.32 million during 2013 in a one-year contract signed with Atlanta, according to Cot's Baseball Contracts.
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4. JP Howell, RP
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Here we go again.
The Nationals are once again pursuing left-handed reliever JP Howell, according to Adam Kilgore of The Washington Post. Last offseason, Howell eschewed the Nationals for the Los Angeles Dodgers, signing a one-year contract worth $2.85 million, according to Cot's Baseball Contracts.
During the 2013 regular season, Howell went 4-1 with a 2.03 ERA in 67 appearances and 62 innings. He walked 32 and struck out 54, with a .193 batting average against and a 1.05 WHIP.
The 30-year-old Californian is 25-24 with a 4.10 ERA in 334 total appearances and 33 starts with 21 saves in 32 opportunities, for a total of 465 innings over his nine-year career. He has 209 walks and 429 strikeouts to go with a .239 opponents' batting average and a 1.34 WHIP.
5. Boone Logan, RP
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Everyone else seems to be signing New York Yankees free agents these days. The Nationals decided they would look into doing the same.
Adam Kilgore of The Washington Post reports that the Nationals are interested in Boone Logan, another left-handed reliever.
Logan finished the 2013 season with a 5-2 record and a 3.23 ERA in 39 innings over 61 appearances with two blown saves. Logan totaled 13 walks and 50 strikeouts with a 1.18 WHIP while opponents batted .236 against him.
In his eight-year career, the 29-year-old Logan has gone 24-12 with a 4.39 ERA in 303.2 innings over 420 appearances, with two saves in 13 opportunities. Logan has 132 walks and 304 strikeouts while opponents have batted .268 against him. He has a WHIP of 1.48.
The Yankees signed Logan to a one-year deal worth $3.15 million for 2013, according to Cot's Baseball Contracts.
6. Oliver Perez, RP
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The Nationals are clearly making a concerted effort to find a left-handed reliever to replace the departed Fernando Abad and Ian Krol. On Dec. 4, Adam Kilgore of The Washington Post tweeted about the first such player who the Nats pursued:
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Nats remain in on lefty reliever Ollie Perez. Seattle and San Diego like him, too. New Mariners Manager Llyod McClendon had him in PIT.
— Adam Kilgore (@AdamKilgoreWP) Dec. 4, 2013"
Oliver Perez went 3-3 this season with a 3.74 ERA in 53 innings over 61 appearances, converting two of three save opportunities. The native of Mexico tallied 26 walks and 74 strikeouts with a .249 batting average against and a 1.43 WHIP.
This 32-year-old veteran of 11 MLB seasons has a 62-75 record and a 4.53 ERA in 1194.1 innings over 300 appearances, including 195 starts and two saves in five opportunities. Perez has 664 walks and 1,224 strikeouts with a .245 batting average against and a 1.47 WHIP.
Perez was signed by the Mariners to a one-year deal worth $1.5 million for 2013, according to Cot's Baseball Contracts.
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