Washington Nationals Sign Former All-Star

The Washington Nationals have signed Dee Strange-Gordon to a minor-league contract.

Utilityman Dee Strange-Gordon and the Washington Nationals are in agreement on a minor league contract, a source familiar with the deal tells ESPN. Strange-Gordon was eligible to sign after not playing in big leagues last season. Minor league deals are allowed during the lockout.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 11, 2021

Strange-Gordon will be aiming to earn himself a job at major-league level again this season. The 33-year-old spent the 2021 in Triple-A with Nashville Sounds, Iowa Cubs and Indianapolis. In 230 total at-bats between the three teams, he had five home runs, 21 RBIs and a .248 batting average.

Strange-Gordon last played in the majors during the 2020 campaign as a member of the Seattle Mariners. In 33 games, he had zero home runs, three RBIs and a .200 batting average, so he certainly struggled. If given the chance to play with the Nationals in 2021, he will be looking to rebound.

There is no harm in the Nationals signing Strange-Gordon to a minor-league deal. He can play multiple positions and possesses a solid resume. In 2015, he won a Gold Glove Award, Silver Slugger Award and was the NL Batting Champion and MLB stolen base leader. With that, he led the league in steals two other times (2014, 2017) and is a two-time All-Star (2014, 2015). Obviously it's been awhile since he's been that dominant, but he certainly could be a decent depth option at this point of his career.

Let's see if the veteran is able to make Washington's roster in 2022.