FRIDAY: Frandsen and the Nationals have agreed to terms on a one-year, $1MM contract that contains up to $300K worth of incentives, ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick reports (on Twitter).
THURSDAY: The Nationals and utility player Kevin Frandsen are nearing an agreement to avoid arbitration for the 2015 season, reports James Wagner of the Washington Post. Frandsen is a client All Bases Covered Sports Management’s Damon Lapa.
The versatile 32-year-old batted .259/.299/.309 with one homer in 236 plate appearances for the Nationals this past season, seeing time at third base, second base, first base and left field in his first year with Washington. A lifetime .259/.313/.350 hitter, Frandsen has also spent time with the Giants, Angels and Phillies in parts of eight big league seasons. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projected Frandsen to earn $1.2MM in what will be his final season of arbitration eligibility before hitting the open market.
Git er done!
I’m confused why they’d be so interested in avoiding arbitration on a back-up player who’s been pretty bad for two years in a row now.
Matt Williams likes his grit… For guys like that, actual performance is not necessary….
He does have an impressive beard right now, indicating a very high WTW score.
I believe that’s a prerequisite.
Rather than avoiding arbitration with Frandsen, many teams would have chosen to just avoid Frandsen in the first place.
At least they’re not Frand-zoning him. He would go on about how they led him on before signing another bench bat… 🙁
I hope it’s a minor league deal to free up a spot on the 40 man.
Considering the maximum salary for a AAA (non-40-man) player is $2,156/month, no.
Wow. I remember when he was just a prospect in the Giants system. Didn’t realize he that old.
As a Nats fan, I am underwhelmed. Perhaps he got the contract for that unbelievable behind the back play in left field last season that saved a run against Houston.
This is a key move to fortify the roster.
I’m not sure what the hate about Frandsen is a about. He is a Bench bat that can play anywhere on the field but short and center. He hit .259 as a bench bat. Sure he can be replaced but he is also a pretty good piece on this team. Not every player can be a star. People expect Joe Dimaggio to be coming off the bench. Goodness people!