More power in 2017 would make Robinson more valuable to Nats

As we transition into offseason mode here, we're reviewing each significant player on the Nationals roster. We continue today with Clint Robinson, who in his second full big league season further established himself as a reliable bench bat who can take over at first base when needed.

PLAYER REVIEW: CLINT ROBINSON

Age on opening day 2017: 32

How acquired: Signed as minor league free agent, December 2014

MLB service time: 2 years, 28 days

2016 salary: $534,900

Contract status: Under team control in 2017, arbitration-eligible in 2018, free agent in 2021

2016 stats: 104 G, 224 PA, 196 AB, 16 R, 46 H, 4 2B, 0 3B, 5 HR, 26 RBI, 0 SB, 0 CS, 20 BB, 38 SO, .235 AVG, .305 OBP, .332 SLG, .637 OPS, -0.5 WAR

Quotable: "Here's a guy that was 30 years old as a rookie. He works hard. He stays ready all the time. We need Clint and some of these guys to come off and do that for you. This is a big part of our success, how guys stay ready, how they work hard, how they come off the bench ready." - Dusty Baker on Clint Robinson

2016 analysis: A late bloomer who didn't become a full-time major leaguer until he was 30, Clint Robinson entered the season as the Nationals' top left-handed bat off the bench, not to mention an insurance policy at first base when Ryan Zimmerman needed time off.

Robinson's season got off to a ragged start, though. He had just one hit in 19 at-bats in April. But a quick burst of power in early May that included two homers (including a walk-off blast to beat the Tigers) got him back on track. From May through August, he hit .266 with a .325 on-base percentage, .724 OPS and 23 RBIs in only 164 plate appearances.

Robinson did surprisingly suffer from a lack of power most of the season. After homering in back-to-back games July 7-8, he didn't produce another extra-base hit until a double in Game 1 of the National League Division Series.

Another oddity about Robinson: He rarely gets opportunities to face left-handed pitchers, but he fares far better against them than righties. For his career, he bats .243 (110-for-452) against righties but .348 (23-for-66) against lefties.

2017 outlook: At this point, Robinson has pretty much established what he is: a professional hitter who is productive in spurts, but probably not enough to warrant an everyday spot in the lineup. Guys can sustain long careers being just that, and the Nationals have no reason to want to part ways with a guy who will still make near the league minimum in 2017 and then will have three years of arbitration eligibility after that.

Robinson is particularly valuable to the Nationals as a left-handed complement to Zimmerman - provided Zimmerman is able to stay healthy and relatively productive himself. The problem arises if and when Zimmerman misses significant time due to injury or struggles to the point he doesn't merit everyday at-bats. So in some ways, Robinson's fate could be connected to his teammate's ability to bounce back from the worst season of his career.

Either way, the Nationals would like to see some more power from Robinson next season. They don't necessarily need more homers, but they certainly would like more than four doubles in 224 plate appearances.