Lind agrees to one-year deal with Nationals

The Nationals have agreed to terms on a one-year contract with a mutual 2018 option with first baseman/outfielder Adam Lind.

Lind, 33, will receive a base salary of $1 million, with a $500,000 buyout on the option.

By adding Lind, the Nationals beef up their bench and add a left-handed hitting complement to first baseman Ryan Zimmerman, who is coming off the worst offensive season of his career. The move also sets up a spring training competition between Lind and incumbent southpaw swinging first baseman/outfielder Clint Robinson, who appear to be competing for one spot on the bench.

Lind is a career .271/.328/.462 hitter with 186 home runs and 664 RBIs in 11 major league seasons with the Blue Jays, Brewers and Mariners. He has hit 20 or more homers six times, including each of the past two seasons. But after hitting .277 for the Brewers in 2015, Lind slumped to .239 with the Mariners last season.

His career .309/.389/.532 slash line in 108 plate appearances as a pinch-hitter could make him a useful bench piece for manager Dusty Baker, who likes to have both right- and left-handed hitters capable of running into a fastball.

Robinson, who filled the role for the past two seasons, is a career .189/.284/.295 pinch-hitter with two homers and 10 RBIs in 109 plate appearances. Right-handed reserve outfielder Chris Heisey hit three homers as a pinch-hitter last season, while putting up a .171/.227/.449 slash line in 44 plate appearances.

Though Lind is listed by the Nationals as a first baseman/outfielder, he has not played the outfield since 2010, when he appeared in left field in 16 games for the Blue Jays.

The Nationals could boast a bench including catcher José Lobaton, infielder Stephen Drew, Heisey, either Robinson or Lind, and either Michael A. Taylor or Brian Goodwin in the outfield.

With the addition of Lind, the Nationals' 40-man roster is full.