Does Call have future with Nats after disappointing year?

PLAYER REVIEW: ALEX CALL

Age on Opening Day 2024: 29

How acquired: Claimed off waivers from Guardians, August 2022

MLB service time: 1 year, 66 days

2023 salary: $721,800

Contract status: Under club control, arbitration-eligible in 2026, free agent in 2029

2023 stats: 128 G, 439 PA, 375 AB, 43 R, 75 H, 14 2B, 1 3B, 8 HR, 38 RBI, 9 SB, 8 CS, 53 BB, 78 SO, .200 AVG, .307 OBP, .307 SLG, .614 OPS, 72 OPS+, 7 DRS, 1.1 bWAR, 0.4 fWAR

Quotable: “There’s no doubt things didn’t go the way I wanted them to in the first stint. I felt like it was just a good time to focus. I know I’m a great player. I know I’m a great hitter. I’m going to continue to play great defense, and just focus on getting back to being the player I can be.” – Alex Call, after his July 5 recall from Triple-A Rochester

2023 analysis: The Nationals went to spring training with a three-way competition for the fourth outfielder’s spot on the Opening Day roster. By the end of March, Call clearly had won that competition over Stone Garrett (who was optioned to Triple-A) and Derek Hill (who injured his hamstring during camp).

Two days into the season, though, both Call and Garrett found themselves in the big leagues, sharing the left field job because of Corey Dickerson’s calf strain. Call, by virtue of winning the spring competition, got the bulk of the starts and wound up leading off much of April and early May. Though he didn’t hit for a high average, Call’s ability to draw walks, hit for occasional power and play smooth defense allowed him to remain a regular well into the summer, most of the time now coming in center field due to Victor Robles’ back injury.

But by mid-June, Robles was ready to return. And with Garrett now producing at the plate, Call was the odd man out, optioned to Rochester. He returned only three weeks later when Robles was forced back to the IL with continued back woes, and he would remain on the active big league roster the rest of the season.

Call never did get his offensive numbers back to where they were earlier in the year. He finished with the second-lowest slugging percentage among all National League hitters with at least 400 plate appearances, trailing only the Brewers’ Brice Turang. By late September, Call was getting only sporadic playing time, with rookie Jacob Young getting a daily look in center field and an assortment of players filling the hole in left field.

2024 outlook: The Nationals took a low-risk flier on Call when they claimed him off waivers from the Guardians in August 2022. They saw a defensively gifted outfielder with a good eye and some pop at the plate. They never seemed to project him as an everyday big leaguer, but circumstances thrust him into that role for much of the 2023 season. The end result of all that: Call has revealed he’s not an everyday big leaguer. The question then becomes: Is a viable backup outfielder at this level?

Defensively, Call is talented enough to play all three positions. He finished with an above-average total in Defensive Runs Saved in left, center and right field. His range is excellent. He does, however, have an odd penchant for getting in the way of teammates trying to track down fly balls in the gaps or popups into the shallow outfield. Yes, you want a center fielder to take charge out there, but you also want him to know when to cede to a teammate who has a better chance of making the play.

It really boils down to Call’s offensive abilities. A fourth outfielder doesn’t need to hit a ton, but he does need to be able to provide quality at-bats when called upon, to be a viable option off the bench when the manager needs someone late in a game. Call was somewhat hurt this season by the fact he’s right-handed, same as Lane Thomas, Young, Garrett and Robles. He didn’t often make sense as a platoon partner for anyone. If the Nats lineup was more left-handed, maybe he’d fit better.

Because he’s still under club control, Call will continue to make near the league minimum in 2024. And he still has options, so the Nationals can demote him to Triple-A without exposing him to waivers. If they believe they need to keep another good-glove, weak-bat outfielder in the organization, he might still have a future here. If, however, they believe they’ve seen everything they need to see from him, and if they need to clear a 40-man roster spot this winter, Call could be in danger of being let go.