First baseman/outfielder Mike Carp declined his minor league assignment with the Nationals and elected free agency, James Wagner of the Washington Post reports on Twitter.
The 28-year-old lost a spring battle for a left-handed-hitting bench role to Clint Robinson, who enjoyed a big spring. Carp had underwhelming numbers in Grapefruit League action, meanwhile, following a 2014 season in which he slashed just .175/.289/.230 in 149 plate appearances.
Of course, it was not long ago that Carp looked like a rather useful player. In 2013, with the Red Sox, he took 243 turns at bat and his .296/.362/.523 with nine home runs. Combined with a productive 2011 campaign in Seattle, sandwiched around a less useful campaign, Carp was expected to play an important role in Boston’s championship defense.
