Free Agent Option: Xavier Nady
Now that Jayson Werth has moved on to the Washington Nationals, it’s time for the Phillies to get serious about landing a replacement for the vacancy in right field.
Just two years removed from 25 home runs and 97 RBI, outfielder Xavier Nady is looking for a home. He put those numbers together with the Pirates and Yankees in 2008, then lost nearly the entire 2009 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Nady’s 2010 season was a disappointment, although it was not unexpected, as he hit just .256 with six home runs in 347 plate appearances with the Chicago Cubs.
At 32-years old, Nady could be a cheap reclamation project even though Phillies supporters don’t want to take a step backward with the offense. Going from Werth to a Nady/Brown platoon would certainly equal such a move in the wrong direction, but for the price Nady would come at, it wouldn’t be the world’s worst move. Nady has some pop and after a full season to heal from the elbow reconstruction, perhaps he’ll be able to find that once again.
Playing for an awful Cubs team certainly didn’t help his value, either. Hitting within an offense that ranked 10th in runs and 10th in OPS could have been part of the reason Nady’s numbers were sapped. He also may not have been completely healthy. Whatever the case, he won’t be asking for very much on the open market and could be a viable option to platoon.
How is he against lefties you ask? Nady hits .297 for his career against southpaws with a decent .818 OPS. Not Werth-like, but not bad either.
Chances: Two out of 10 Ruben Head’s for Xavier Nady as a Phillie. I wouldn’t mind the cheap signing, but he’s a major fallback option and shouldn’t be looked at as anything more than a platoon player with the hope that he could surprise you and find the talent he flashed a few seasons ago.
