Nationals acquire Eaton for Giolito, Lopez, Dunning

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. - The Nationals are about to acquire their much-desired new outfielder in a trade, but it's not the guy who has drawn most of the headlines over the last week.

The Nats and White Sox have agreed to a deal that would bring Adam Eaton to Washington in exchange for pitching prospects Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez and Dane Dunning, according to a source familiar with the talks. The trade's completion is still contingent upon the review of all players' medical records, but all other parameters have been agreed upon.

It's an awfully steep price for the Nationals to pay. Giolito is their No. 1-rated prospect, with Lopez ranked third and 2016 first-round pick Dunning ranked sixth, according to MLB.com. But the 28-year-old Eaton is a strong fit for the Nats, based on his skill-set.

Eaton doesn't have the superstar track record of Andrew McCutchen, who the Nationals also have pursued this week at the Winter Meetings, but he's two years younger than the Pirates' former MVP and he's under club control for five seasons at a highly affordable $38.4 million.

Eaton also possesses the kind of tools that would make him a natural fit with the Nationals. The left-handed hitter has posted a .362 on-base percentage over the last three seasons, with at least 14 stolen bases each year. His 6.0 WAR this season ranked eighth in the American League.

The acquisition of Eaton will have a significant domino effect to the Nationals lineup. He figures to play center field in 2017, flanked by Bryce Harper and Jayson Werth, but he could move to a corner position in 2018 once Werth's contract expires.

Eaton's presence also paves the way for Trea Turner to move to his natural shortstop position, with Danny Espinosa bumped from the starting lineup.

Update: The Nationals have officially announced the trade as described above. General manager Mike Rizzo and manager Dusty Baker will address the media at 6:15 p.m. at the Winter Meetings. Check back later for updated coverage.

MASNsports.com's Byron Kerr contributed to this report.