Bill Ladson of nationals.com reported on Sunday that the Washington Nationals are interested in signing first baseman Derrek Lee. Oh, please.
If the Nationals indeed were to sign the 34-year-old, it would undue virtually all the goodwill the team received when it signed right-fielder Jayson Werth a week ago.
There are just too many reasons to believe this is not true.
First, Derek Lee is getting old and his stats are reflecting that. Over the last 10 seasons, Lee averaged .292/.378/.521 with 31 home runs and 95 RBI. Last season, Lee split time with the Chicago Cubs and Atlanta Braves and hit .260/.347/.428 with just 19 home runs and 80 runs driven in.
True, a thumb injury slowed him early in the season but he was mostly healthy when he joined the Braves and his numbers over the last 39 games in Atlanta were only peripherally better.
His clutch-hitting statistics also dropped in 2010. In 2009, Lee batted .320/.424/.600, about as good as it gets. Last season, he hit .283/.411/.552. With the game late or close, he dropped from .302/.381/.512 to .241/.355/.484.
And while he would be a defensive upgrade from Adam Dunn, while he is an above average defender he isn’t great. And again, he is a 34-year-old above average defender.
I’m guessing that this “news” is the Nationals trying to pressure Adam LaRoche into signing with the team, making him worry that he might lose the opportunity if he doesn’t act soon.
Probably the thing that makes the least sense is that Lee is a right-handed batter. If in fact the Nationals were to sign him, they would have a righty batting second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth in the lineup.
That just doesn’t work at the major league level.
He’s old. His numbers are declining. He bats from the right side.
I just can’t believe that the Nationals are really interested in Derrek Lee.
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