As it stands now, the Washington Nationals are only offering Adam LaRoche a one-year deal.  The free agent first baseman has been in talks with other teams, but the Nationals have seemed like the team he would return to.  However, LaRoche wants a three-year deal.

According to Thomas Boswell of the Washington Post, the Nationals seem stuck on their two-year offer, but they may need to re-consider that offer considering the Texas Rangers' need for a lefty bat.  The Rangers have lost big so far this offseason, and it would not be surprising to see them jump on LaRoche.


LaRoche hit .271/.343/.510 with 33 home runs.  He was an Gold Glove winner and finished sixth in National League MVP voting.  The Nationals are concerned with his age and durability though.  LaRoche missed time early on in 2012 with an injury, and he is 33 years old.

However, Washington needs to consider the alternative.  If they let LaRoche walk, they will have to figure out how to plug their hole at first base.  They could do so with Michael Morse, but the team does not seem sold on him as a long-term solution at first.  While there may be some concerns about LaRoche's long-term durability, he may be the best option for them.  Plus, it's not like he's a bad hitter.  He has a career 114 OPS+.
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