The stealth Washington Nationals made an official signing without a hint that they were trying to acquire utility man Amed Rosario in a $2 million 1-year deal per Jon Heyman of the NY Post. To make room on the 40-man roster, the Nats DFA’d Joan Adon. What surprised many was that Rosario was given an MLB deal and not a minor league deal. Can’t Nasim Nuñez and Alex Call do more than Rosario for less money as bench players? Or was Rosario signed to be a full-time starting third baseman? Right now, we don’t have those answers, so why assume. Right?
Looking at Rosario’s curriculum vitae (CV), he has experience at every position on the field except pitcher, catcher, and first base. With 15-games of experience at third base, he has that limited experience if needed.
A year ago, Rosario was a pleasant surprise for the Tampa Bay Rays on a $1.5 million deal. He hit .307 with a .748 OPS and was in demand at the trade deadline and was dealt to the Dodgers in a trade. Rosario only played in five games, and was released after 20-days. Yes, he will get a World Series ring for his cup of coffee in L.A. The Reds immediately claimed Rosario off of waivers — and probably wish they didn’t.
But what did he do to get an MLB with more money than last year after his dreadful finish to his season? His positive WAR with Tampa was turned to a negative with that short stint with the Dodgers and tough time in Cincinnati.
The 29-year-old debuted at the age of 21 with the Mets in 2017. He looked like he was going to be a star then the COVID season of 2020 took off of his trajectory. What happened is anyone’s guess. A scout described him as a contact-first hitter with speed, but without a power profile. He ranked in the 91st percentile in sprint speed last season, per Baseball Savant. But where the mark was missed is that Rosario has dropped to a below average fielder and combined was a -7.0 OAA during 2024 with league average defense while he subbed in at second base.
But again, doesn’t Nuñez do what Rosario can do but better? That could be up for debate, and really depends on which Rosario shows up. If he can replicate what he did with Tampa, the Nats did well. He also adds a right-handed bat and could certainly give both Luis García Jr. and CJ Abrams some rest days. Rosario does hit left-handed pitching well in his platoon splits with a .294 batting average, .325 OBP, and a .737 OPS.
If Rosario is destined for the Nats bench, you would think Nuñez will start his season in Triple-A in Rochester. If Rosario was promised he would be the starting third baseman over Jose Tena, you have to feel underwhelmed. But again, we will have to wait and see what the actual plan is for utilizing Rosario. And that’s all you can do is see what happens.
