Nats finalizing deal with veteran first baseman Adam Lind

By Mark Zuckerman

Nationals

February 13, 2017, 9:35am

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WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - The Nationals are finalizing a deal with veteran first baseman/outfielder Adam Lind, adding another left-handed bat to their options off the bench and some insurance behind Ryan Zimmerman.

The major league contract won't be complete until Lind passes a physical, according to a source familiar with the deal, which was first reported by ESPN's Jim Bowden (the former Nats general manager).

Lind, 33, is a career .271/.328/.462 hitter in 11 big league seasons with the Blue Jays, Brewers and Mariners, and he has hit at least 20 homers in three of the last four seasons. His overall production, though, dropped last year in Seattle, where he hit only .239/.286/.431 in 430 plate appearances.

A 6-foot-2 left-handed batter and fielder, Lind could make for a nice complement at first base with Zimmerman, who is coming off the worst season of his career and has averaged only 90 games played the last three years. He also has strong numbers as a pinch-hitter: .309/.389/.532 in 108 plate appearances.

The signing does put Clint Robinson, another left-handed first baseman and corner outfielder coming off a disappointing season, in a tough spot. The odds of both Lind and Robinson making the opening day roster - barring an injury to someone else - seem remote.

Lind has spent the vast majority of his career in the American League, and he isn't known for his defense. Of his 1,112 big-league starts, 510 have come at first base, 386 as designated hitter and 216 in left field (which he hasn't played since 2010).

But the veteran's offensive track record and ability to hit off the bench make him an attractive option for the Nationals, who despite making relatively few roster moves this offseason have managed to maintain (and perhaps bolster) a bench that already was strong in 2016.

If everybody remains healthy, the Nationals could potentially open the season with a bench of Lind, Stephen Drew, Chris Heisey, Jose Lobaton and either Michael A. Taylor or Brian Goodwin.