Adam LaRoche stays with Washington Nationals as he agrees to two-year offer - MLB Update
Finally, the first baseman Adam LaRoche has come to terms with the Washington Nationals, agreeing to a two-year deal with the club. He has been negotiating since the start of the offseason but was unable to reach some common ground with Washington.
In the beginning, he tested free agency after declining the qualifying offer that the Nationals made.
He was hopeful that he will easily earn more than what the Nationals were ready to give him. Unfortunately, he could not receive the desired deal from any of the interested organisations, despite being in the market for months.
From day one, LaRoche demanded a three-year contract, which none of the clubs was willing to agree to.
The officials of the club feared his decline down the line owing to his age. At 33, he was not expected to stay at the top of his form for a long time period.
For the same reason, despite having the need for a quality first baseman like LaRoche, they did not accept his asking price. The Boston Red Sox can be cited here, as they pursued him but could not complete the talks successfully.
The deal can be considered a victory for the Nationals, as they got LaRoche on their own terms and conditions.
They offered a two-year contract; more significantly they did not increase it even in the face of the pressure coming off from the market. Ultimately, they have succeeded in retaining him.
General Manager for the Nationals, Mike Rizzo, looks fairly pleased after making sure that LaRoche will play the next two seasons with the club.
"I think we both were getting tired of the process," Mike Rizzo said. "We had a lot of conversations back and forth with his representative. Adam and I had a few private conversations. ... I made it clear to Adam that it's time to get this thing done. Make
a decision. Our offer is what it is. It's been on the table for a while. It's time to think of your options and pull the trigger if you want to be here."
Inclusion of LaRoche has further strengthened offence of the Nationals.
It is easy to conclude that they will achieve something substantial in the upcoming season.
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