Washington Nationals Sign Atlanta Braves Playoff Hero Eddie Rosario to Split Contract
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The Washington Nationals and veteran outfielder Eddie Rosario have agreed to a split contract, El Extrabases' Daniel Álvarez-Montes first reported Wednesday morning.
Per Álvarez-Montes, Rosario could earn up to $4 million in incentives, depending on how much time he ends up spending at the major league level. According to MLB Network insider Jon Heyman, Rosario will be guaranteed $2 million if he makes the MLB roster.
The deal is still pending a physical.
Rosario, 32, is coming off a season in which he hit .255 with 21 home runs, 74 RBI, a .755 OPS and a 1.1 WAR with the Atlanta Braves.
Rosario spent the first six seasons of his MLB career with the Minnesota Twins, starting with a sixth-place finish in AL Rookie of the Year voting in 2015.
The Puerto Rican slugger hit his peak from 2017 to 2020, when he hit .281 with an .810 OPS. During that stretch, he averaged 32 home runs, 103 RBI and a 2.9 WAR per 162 games, and he placed 18th and 17th in AL MVP voting in 2019 and 2020, respectively.
Rosario eventually left Minnesota to join Cleveland Guardians, who would flip him to the Braves at the 2021 MLB Trade Deadline. It didn't take long for Rosario to get settled in Atlanta, as he won NLCS MVP that fall to help the Braves reach – and ultimately win – the World Series.
In the 2021 postseason, Rosario hit .383 with three home runs, 11 RBI and a 1.073 OPS.
Rosario posted a negative WAR the following season, and while he did get back on track in 2023, the Braves were still prepared to turn elsewhere in left field in 2024.
As for the Nationals, FanGraphs is currently projecting non-roster invitee Jesse Winker to serve as their starting left fielder against right-handed pitchers. Winker may have hit .288 with an .888 OPS in his five seasons with the Cincinnati Reds, but he is a .214 hitter with a .656 OPS over the last two years.
Third-year outfielder Stone Garrett has better career numbers versus lefties than both Rosario and Winker, so whichever of the veterans wins out in their battle is likely to platoon with him in left.
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