Nationals sign Brian Dozier to one-year deal

The Washington Nationals are just as sick of this slow offseason as you are. To stoke the flames, they’ve signed Brian Dozier to a one-year, $9M deal, reports Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. Jeff Passan of ESPN was first on the contract details.

The veteran second baseman had a difficult start to 2017, ultimately slashing .215/.305/.391 between his time spent on the Twins and the Dodgers. While there are hopefully glints of 21 home runs and 72 RBIs, Dozier closed out the year with a .696 OPS— his lowest since joining the show in 2012.

The Nationals are down a massive piece of their offense next season, and while the 31-year old won’t be able to fill the Bryce Harper void, it doesn't hurt that his bat still has considerable pop to it. Despite his low OPS across the board, the 31-year old still poses a threat for lefty pitchers, with an .878 OPS and .271 batting average against southpaws over the past three years.

Howie Kendrick is coming back to the team after a devastating rupture to his right Achilles tendon last May. Wilmer Difo was able to hold down the position defensively, but had a serious down year at the plate. Dozier will bring more stability to second base on the chance that Kendrick backslides, and will be a strong bat to tap into from the bench where needed.