Negotiations between Washington Nationals and Adam LaRoche continue-MLB Update
As Christmas wraps up, Washington Nationals are expected to announce a decision about first baseman, Adam LaRoche, soon.
Considering the fact general manager of the club, Mike Rizzo, hinted this event as the possible deadline a couple of weeks ago for reaching an agreement with LaRoche, it is possible that Washington makes some headway at the moment.
For long, the talks are underway but the agreement has not been reached yet, owing to intransigence of both the parties.
LaRoche is h**l-bent to fetch the desired deal, while the Nationals give no indication to step back even an inch from their earlier stance in the negotiations.
The last week saw some important development take place regarding the contract extension of LaRoche.
As per the reports, the Nationals are willing to renew his agreement but it remains to be seen whether they have modified their earlier offer or not.
LaRoche is one of those players that declined qualifying offers from their respective organisations before testing the free agency.
He was hopeful that getting an ideal contract from the free agent buyers in the market will not be difficult for him, given the fact that he won Silver Slugger award and the Gold Glove at first base during the 2012 season.
To his disappointment, LaRoche has struggled to attract buyers toward him as yet.
The fact he asks for a three-year deal makes it extremely hard for the teams to decide an appropriate package for him.
At 33, LaRoche will possibly decline down the line.
While he can continue showing some power for one more year or so, the time is not far when he goes through a decline.
That is what has kept the Nationals from signing an agreement with him.
The Nationals are on the brink of winning a World Series at the moment, as their 2012 season performance suggests.
It means they cannot afford to enter into the upcoming season without addressing the potential loopholes.
Considering the fact LaRoche performed consistently all through the last season, if he goes elsewhere, Washington will be without a reliable first baseman in 2013.
In light of this, the Nationals will be looking to re-sign him and make sure the negotiations do not end without a result this time around.
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