Source: Heisey returning to Nats on one-year deal

By Mark Zuckerman

Nationals

November 11, 2016, 5:58pm

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Chris Heisey, a key member of what became a productive bench for the Nationals this season, is returning in 2017.

Heisey has agreed to terms on a one-year contract with the Nats worth $1.4 million plus incentives, according to a source familiar with the deal. ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick was first to report the signing, which won't become official until Heisey passes a 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, earning a $1.25 million base salary. 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.

The Nationals bench didn't record a ton of hits this season (its .216 pinch-hitting batting average ranked 14th in the majors) but the hits the group did record were meaningful (its 12 pinch-hit homers ranked third in the majors, while its 29 RBIs ranked sixth).