Washington Nationals unwilling to go more than 2 years for Adam Laroche

The Washington Nationals remain interested in signing Adam LaRoche but appear unwilling to offer the 33 year-old first baseman anything longer than a two-year contract, according to William Ladson of MLB.com.

The kicker for Adam LaRoche is that no other team appears to want to offer him a three-year deal either, according to the same tweet.

The left-handed hitting slugger has recorded eight seasons with 20+ homers and two 100 RBI seasons. He would certainly represent an upgrade at first base for several clubs. The Rangers, Mariners, and Orioles among others have been linked to the run-producing veteran, but reports indicate that the Nationals have the strongest interest.

LaRoche's market value has most likely been affected by the Red Sox recent signing of Mike Napoli. Boston signed Napoli to a 3 year/39 million dollar deal on December 4th.

Napoli is 31 years old and was refused a fourth year by the Red Sox, who in turn offered him more money per annum to play in Boston. Washington could employ a similar strategy to lock-up Laroche for two more years.