Washington Nationals closing in on a deal with Derek Dietrich
The Washington Nationals are closing in on a deal with free agent outfielder Derek Dietrich.
After opting out of his contract with the New York Yankees earlier this week, Derek Dietrich, 31, has found a home with the Washington Nationals.
It is unclear at this time if the deal is a minor league or major league contract.
What is clear is the Nationals have a need for a left-handed bat in the outfield after the hamstring injury to Kyle Schwarber.
Derek Dietrich gives the Nationals versatility in the field, pop at the plate
Dietrich has versatility with the ability to play both corner infield and corner outfield spots and has played second base earlier in his career.
Source: Derek Dietrich is closing in on a deal with the Washington Nationals.
— Robert Murray (@ByRobertMurray) July 9, 2021
Dietrich played his first six seasons with the Marlins after they drafted him out of Georgia Tech. He played in 25 games with the Texas Rangers in 2020, hitting .197 in 75 plate appearances. In 2019, Dietrich hit a career-high 19 home runs for the Cincinnati Reds in his lone season with the club.
The Nationals are 42-44 entering Friday and sit 4.5 games back of the NL East-leading New York Mets.
Dietrich is a career .245 hitter with 84 home runs across eight MLB seasons with the Marlins, Reds and Rangers.