The Nationals have signed infielder Dee Strange-Gordon to a minor league contract, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan (Twitter link). Strange-Gordon is a client of Rep 1 Baseball.
Minor league deals can be signed during the lockout, as so Strange-Gordon will now turn to Washington as the hopeful landing spot for his return to the majors. Strange-Gordon signed minors contracts with the Reds, Brewers, Cubs, and Pirates in 2021 but none of those deals materialized into any big league playing time, thus leaving Strange-Gordon on the sidelines of a MLB season for the first time since 2010.
The 33-year-old is very familiar with the NL East, achieving some of his greatest successes over three seasons with the Marlins from 2015-17. Strange-Gordon won the 2015 NL batting title and led the league with 205 hits and 58 stolen bases that same season, then going on to capture another stolen-base crown in 2017.
Unfortunately for Strange-Gordon, 2017 also marked his last season as a productive regular. After being traded to the Mariners in December 2017, Strange-Gordon posted only a combined 0.2 fWAR over three seasons in Seattle, batting .266/.293/.343 for a 74 wRC+. While still an excellent baserunner, Strange-Gordon’s difficulties in getting on base largely neutralized that skill, and he was also hampered by a position switch from second base to center field.
The Nats inked Cesar Hernandez to a one-year, $4MM free agent deal prior to the lockout, making him their leading candidate for the everyday second base job. As Hernandez is coming off a lackluster year himself, however, Strange-Gordon represents some veteran depth at the position, not to mention a utility piece that could also chip in as a left fielder or shortstop in a pinch. With the experienced duo of Hernandez and Alcides Escobar tentatively penciled in as Washington’s starting middle infield combo, Strange-Gordon will look to join youngsters Luis Garcia and Lucius Fox in the competition for bench roles.
vtadave
Strange signing.
Sid Bream Speed Demon
Championship
Curly Was The Smart Stooge
This dude back in 2018 walked 9 times in 588 plate appearances……….9 times! For someone with his speed, you need to be on base more & on the bench less.
mlb1225
It’s actually kinda impressive how little he walked. Among all seasons of all time where the player had at least 500 plate appearances, Gordon’s 1.5% walk rate that year is the 7th lowest mark of all time. Him, Virgil Stallcup at 1.5% in 1949, Ivan Rodriguez in 2007 at 1.7%, Carlos Pena also in 2007 and a 1.9%, and Ozzie Guillen in 1996 also at 1.9% are the only seasons post-WWII where a player had a sub-2% BB% in at least 500 PA’s.
Dumpster Divin Theo
Maybe everyone afraid to walk the dude
bobtillman
His father’s girlfriend was weird, in a Steven King kind of way.
VonPurpleHayes
Nice reference.
vtadave
Except misspelling the author’s name….
bobtillman
You should see what I do with Dostoyevsky…..just no Redemption…(but Rita Hayworth was gorgeous)….
Yankee Clipper
Your reading preference does explain a lot, however.
duffys cliff
A Dee Strange-Gordon/Alcides Escobar double play tandem would have been incredible, circa 2015.
Chipper Jones' illegitimate kid
Dee Strange-Gordon didn’t exist in 2015.
The Baseball Fan
Cjik- what are you on? He was on of the fastest most effective lead off hitters in the league in 2015.
JerryBird
BB Fan – Don’t ask Cjik what he is on, ask what Gordon was on in 2015. Agreeing with Cjik, Gordon didn’t exist, steroid Gordon did.
The Baseball Fan
Fair enough, but steroids or not Dee Gordon was still a very good ball player in 2015… not sure if you were aware but he was still an MLB player which means he must be pretty dang talented…
JerryBird
BB Fan – Agreed.
CubsWin108
Dee STRANGE Gordon did not exist in 2015
lady1959
Dee Gordon Strange. ⚾️
duffys cliff
Actually, Devaris Strange-Gordon is his legal name. Early in his minor league career, he opted to go by Dee Gordon after a PA Announcer pronounced it incredibly wrong. But then in 2020 he decided to go by Dee Strange-Gordon professionally as a tribute to his late mother. So I take your “joke”, and I raise you some facts.
Chief Two Hands
Interesting that the article mentions his achievements during the 2015 season without mentioning that he was suspended 80 games prior to the start of the following season. Given the appeals process, he likely tested positive well before the actual suspension occurred, and probably cheated his way to those 2015 accomplishments. His production was not close to thar prior to 2015, nor has it been since he got caught.
Ham Fighter
Thought for sure he sign with a Japan or Korean team this off season
HankHill
When you’re Strange…
Monkey’s Uncle
Strange brew, kill what’s inside of you…
Orioles Fan
Everyone on this site makes fun of the Orioles infield but the National’s infield is definitely the worst.
JoeBob33
Season hasn’t started yet, you know. Still time for moves. Granted, Nats so far haven’t moved the needle at all. Some of us still hopeful though.
stubby66
This guy needs to be running like a rabbit everytime he is on base along with bunting more when infield is back.Doing that stuff just helps your team a lot. The hitters batting when he is on will absolutely benefit because they will see more fastballs. It makes teams have to stay away from shifts too. Running and stealing needs to become important again in the game. Guys like Rickey Henderson and Harold Reynolds would change the game when they were on base. Made it a lot of fun to watch. I’m a big believer that a bunt and 2 stolen bases are just as good as a triple
Milwaukee-2208
Gordon turned down the Mets manager job I hear
The Baseball Fan
LOL
nentwigs
DEE STRANGE contract for GORDON !!
mrblue2
Now that seems very Strange.
ham77
His name takes up way too many letters on the back of a jersey is why he can’t get another opportunity in MLB. No owner is willing to foot that bill.
@budselig6969
Anybody else getting r rated advertisements on this site?
GabeOfThrones
Could be a virus from an adult site you visited.
FarhanFan22
That’s what happens when you put 69 twice in your username.
Google ad algos are next level
DodgerOK
Time to hang em up, Dee.
Yankee Clipper
There’s always Japan. Lots of almost-MLB talent going over there this offseason.
Orichalcon
steroids would help anyone motivated to get better
bonds/macguire/sosa would NOT have been able to get those HR numbers based on just increased training that steroids provide
saying steroids ‘doesn’t help with the skill of hitting’ is like saying steroids won’t help the skill of swimming, afterall the steroids dont help with the strategy of it, right?
of course being stronger, more confident and brimming with testosterone is going to help with just about anything competitive…
the combination of testosterone with adrenaline can have incredible, inhuman results that arent even well understood by the scientific community, so i’d think its pointless for us armchair managers to make claims like we know how much it helps
FarhanFan22
National’s really want the Dee
Northeasternskier
Give the guy credit for banging out 200 hits twice, juice or no juice.
Rafael Palmeiro, El Stanozolol, only got over the 200 hits once.
Cano did it twice, another Stanzolol guy.
Like Jose Canseco said in his book, “juice makes good players, great”.
But it is so incredibly difficult just to be good in MLB.
Dee needs about a year and change to get his 10 year pension. He better be in the shape of his life. Good luck Dee.
Marcus Graham
Dee needs to pack it in. He has played for all MLB teams.
ballgawd
He was absolutely terrible his last two years in Seattle!