The Washington Nationals may find themselves dipping their toes into familiar territory this offseason.
According to a report by Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports on Friday, though the Nationals remain focused on Andrew McCutchen as their top center field target, they’re also considering a number of backup options, including old buddy Ian Desmond.
Desmond, 31, was with the Nationals for the first seven seasons of his big-league career, playing the shortstop position almost exclusively. But he signed with the Texas Rangers in 2016 and was converted into a full-time center fielder. Desmond batted .285/.335/.446 with 22 home runs, 86 RBIs, and 21 stolen bases for them last season.
The Nationals are crossing their fingers that a deal for McCutchen is imminent. But in the event that trade talks with the Pirates fall through, the team could ultimately turn to Desmond as a fallback plan (which also has Washington registering interest in Adam Eaton, Dexter Fowler, and Carlos Gomez, per Heyman). Let’s just hope that if Desmond does wind up returning to the Nats that they’re gracious enough to give him his Natitude card back.
Image Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
