Earlier today the Astros claimed Brian Bixler off of
waivers, ending his short tenure with the Nationals. It makes sense that the Nationals feel as if
they no longer need him with Steve Lombardozzi, and further down the pipeline
Anthony Rendon, waiting for their turn to play in the Nationals’ infield. With that said, I am sad to see Bixler
go. Members inside the Nationals
organization admired Bixler’s work ethic.
Before games you could see Bixler getting his reps in all over the field
while Ian Desmond did whatever Ian Desmond does before games. This past year he notched appearances at 6
different positions for the Nats.
Despite
playing all over the field at an above average level, Bixler certainly had his
drawbacks. His line this year was unpleasant:
.205/.267/.265. He played in 79 games
but only had 94 PA, illustrating both his defensive utility and offensive
incompetence. Although it pains me to
see such a committed player get away, it’s a sign of things to come for the
Nationals. Playoff teams don’t have benches composed of Brian Bixler, Alex Cora, and Matt Stairs. As the young core continues to develop, Nationals
fans finally have real hope. Even if
the light at the end of the tunnel is not yet visible, at last it's tangible.
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