Identifying a leadoff hitter is among issues Dusty Baker faces

One of the Nationals' major deficiencies last season was the lack of a consistent offensive presence at the top of their lineup. Multiple injuries limited Denard Span, their normal table setter, to only 61 games before his season ended in late August. In Span's absence, former manager Matt Williams scrambled to find a leadoff man, using rookie Michael A. Taylor, Jayson Werth, Yunel Escobar and Anthony Rendon.

With Span hitting the free agent market last week and unlikely to return to Washington, new manager Dusty Baker faces a similar predicament when trying to figure out who to bat leadoff.

"I don't know if we have that guy yet because the other guys are prone to strikeouts and don't have that high on-base percentage," Baker said on SiriusXM's MLB Network Radio. "We had one, a very good one, in Denard Span, but I don't know if we're gonna have a chance to sign him. We have a chance to sign him."

Taylor is the player Baker refers to with whiffing issues. The 24-year-old has the type of speed to fit the leadoff role, but he struck out a whopping 158 times and managed to only get on base at a lowly .282 clip.

Taylor started 32 games at the top of the Nats order in 2015, slashing .201/.229/.331 with four homers, five walks and 64 strikeouts. Twice he started a game with a leadoff bomb.

But as Baker referenced, Taylor's low on-base percentage likely drops him to the bottom half of the Nats lineup where he proved he could do damage by batting .317 with three homers and 47 RBIs with runners in scoring position.

Like Span, Rendon's season was marred by nagging injuries. The 25-year-old started 24 of his 80 games in the leadoff spot, slashing .242/.313/.323. He had a down year overall with all of the interruptions, but owns a .343 on-base percentage over his three seasons in the majors.

Rendon scored a league-high 111 runs and added 17 stolen bases in 2014. He seems better suited as a two-hole hitter, but could be Baker's best option atop the lineup.

Escobar enjoyed one of his best offensive seasons, slashing .314/.375/.415 with nine homers and 56 RBIs. The 33-year-old excelled when used in the leadoff role, batting .315/.382/.522 in 24 games and smacking three homers to start games. He only walked 45 times and has average speed.

A move into the leadoff spot jumpstarted Jayson Werth's season in mid-August. The 36-year-old slashed .318/.388/.580 with four homers, nine doubles, 10 walks and 16 runs scored in 21 games at the top of the order. He also performed well leading off in 2012, but has far more value batting in the middle of the lineup if healthy.

Rookie Trea Turner might be the Nats' leadoff hitter for years to come, but the question is whether the future begins on opening day next year. The 22-year-old was an on-base machine in his brief run in the minors, but only received 44 plate appearances in the majors last year after making his debut on Aug. 21.

"We're going to run the bases," Baker proclaimed in his introductory press conference. That had to be music to the speedy Turner's ears after swiping 52 bases in 185 games in the minors. He was 2-for-2 for the Nats in steal attempts in September.

Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo could also dip into the free agent waters or swing a trade for a leadoff hitter. If so, adding an outfielder with speed and potentially a left-handed bat seems the most plausible option.

"I haven't really talked to Rizzo or the organization yet about potential free agents or what we can do or even what the payroll is gonna be," Baker said on MLB Network Radio. "I'm always trying to pump people to get us, not only the best team, but the best overall balanced team. This is what I'm shooting for, trying to eliminate as many holes as we can. I'm not really sure yet what's out there because, you know, nobody knows."