Heisey deal is official, outfielder returns to Nats for $1.4 million

The Nationals officially announced their one-year contract with Chris Heisey this morning after the outfielder passed a physical, ensuring one of their most productive bench players returns in 2017.

Heisey will earn $1.4 million in base salary plus incentives, according to a source familiar with the deal. The two sides had agreed in principle to the contract Nov. 11, but its completion was pending the physical.

The 31-year-old outfielder joined the Nationals last winter on a minor league contract, then played his way onto the opening day roster with a salary of $1.25 million. He remained in the big leagues the entire season, hitting .216 with nine homers, 17 RBIs and a .736 OPS over 155 plate appearances.

Forty-four of Heisey's plate appearances - and three of his homers - came as a pinch-hitter, his primary role on the club. He added a fourth pinch-hit homer in Game 5 of the National League Division Series, a two-run shot in the bottom of the seventh that brought the Nationals back to within a run of the Dodgers.

Heisey, who previously played for manager Dusty Baker in Cincinnati, was a popular clubhouse presence throughout the season. His return seemed like a logical development, given the mutual interest, and now he'll be back as a reserve outfielder and right-handed bat off the bench in 2017.

A veteran of seven big league seasons with the Reds, Dodgers and Nationals, Heisey owns a career .242 batting average, .300 on-base percentage, 61 homers, 173 RBIs and .721 OPS. His 14 career pinch-hit homers are the most among all active players, and his .877 OPS ranks fourth among all active players with at least 100 pinch-hit plate appearances.

With this deal completed, the Nationals now have 37 players on their 40-man roster.