The Washington Nationals have signed Derek Dietrich to a minor league deal, according to Jon Heyman of MLB.com. Robert Murray of Fansided first reported the two sides were closing on a deal.
Dietrich will report to Triple-A affiliate Rochester, according to Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post.
The 31-year old veteran was on a minor league deal with the New York Yankees this season. He appeared in 36 games with the Yankees’ Triple-A affiliate Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. There he hit .215/.413/.393 with five home runs and 22 RBIs. However, he opted out after not being called up to majors.
Now, he will hope to provide depth for the Nationals. Dietrich last played in the majors in 2020 in which he appeared in 25 games with the Texas Rangers. His last full season ocurred in 2019 with the Cincinnati Reds. He hit a meager .187/.328/.462 with a career-best 19 home runs and 43 RBIs in 113 games.
If he can breakthrough in Rochester, Dietrich will provide much needed depth both in outfield and infield. Currently, the Nationals are dealing with Kyle Schwarber’s hamstring strain that will keep him out for quite some time.
The Nationals are currently rotating their outfielders to accommodate the loss of Schwarber. Dietrich could be a viable plug. He’ll be also looking to prove his betters day are not behind him. He played six seasons with the Miami Marlins where he hit .254 during his time there.
