Outfielder Eddie Rosario and the Washington Nationals have agreed to a minor league contract with a non-roster invitation to spring training, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press on Wednesday.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because Rosario’s agreement had not been announced. The deal is pending the successful completion of a physical exam.
The 32-year-old Rosario is a left-handed hitter who has played nine seasons in the major leagues with the Minnesota Twins, Cleveland Indians and Atlanta Braves. He has a lifetime batting average of .268 and an OPS of .755, with 159 homers and 548 RBIs.
He started most of Atlanta’s games in left field last season, hitting 21 homers with 74 RBIs while batting .255. But the Braves — who led the majors with 104 wins in 2023 — declined a $9 million option for him this season.
Rosario was a star of Atlanta’s run to the 2021 World Series title. In the NL Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers that year, he hit .560 (14 of 35) with three homers and nine RBIs to win MVP honors.
Rosario could bring some much-needed power to Washington’s light-hitting lineup. The Nationals also went into this offseason in search of lefty batters.
Washington hit 151 homers last year, the second-lowest total in the major leagues and less than half of the leading 307 produced by NL East rival Atlanta.
The Nationals have finished in last place in the division each of the past four seasons since winning the World Series in 2019, the organization’s first championship.
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