Danny Espinosa celebrates walk-off three-run homer. (C.Nichols/Nats News Network)

A week ago, after the Washington Nationals lost to the San Diego Padres 7-3 to fall to 27-36, the Nats were on a pace to win 69 games.

Man, what a difference a week makes.

Despite normally-reliable relievers Tyler Clippard and Drew Storen giving up single runs apiece in the eighth and ninth innings to force extra innings, the Nationals walked-off with a 7-4 win over the reeling St. Louis Cardinals after Danny Espinosa deposited his 12th home run of the season into the Nats bullpen in the bottom of the 10th inning.

Ryan Zimmerman got the rally started with a single up the middle, and after Laynce Nix struck out swinging, reliever Fernando Salas hit Michael Morse with his next pitch.  Espinosa worked the count to two balls and one strike, and Salas laid one in to Espinosa, who made no doubt about it.  It capped a three-hit night for the rookie second baseman, and the homer was his eighth hitting left-handed this season.

The Nationals have now won six games in a row since dropping the first game of the four-game set with San Diego, raising their record to 33-36, a 77-win pace.  What's more, they finish the night in fourth place in the N.L. East as the Florida Marlins continue to spiral out of control, and are a mere 5 1/2 games out in the National League Wildcard race.

It's the first time Washington has won six in a row since they closed the season in 2009 with seven consecutive victories.

The Nats took a 4-2 lead into the late innings and turned things over, as they have in many wins this season, to Clippard and Storen.  But both gave up solo home runs -- Clippard to Albert Pujols and Storen to Yadier Molina -- to blow the lead and reduce John Lannan to a no-decision. 

Lannan was excellent once again.  He induced 14 ground ball outs and was the beneficiary of two double plays.  Lannan went seven innings, allowing two earned runs -- including Matt Holliday's seventh of the season in his first game back off the D.L. -- on six hits and two walks, striking out two.

Manager Jim Riggleman called on Sean Burnett to pitch the tenth, with Todd Coffey warming behind  him.  Burnett got lefty Colby Rasmus on a grounder to second, and Riggleman decided to leave the lefty in to face Pujols, Holliday and Lance Berkman.  Burnett got Pujols to pop up to right field for the second out, walked Holliday, and struck out Berkman looking to end the frame.

Last Thursday, the Nats were 3-5 on their 11-game road trip and staring at three more game in San Diego's Petco Park, a place where hitters go to die.  They won those three games by a combined score of 6-2, and after their best player re-joined the team on Tuesday, the offense has been popping and they swept the best hitting team in baseball.

Yup, it's been a remarkable winning streak.  Folks have gone from talking about another last-place finish to making a run at the wild card.  It's a long season, and we're not even at the All-Star break yet.  But it's fun to entertain the notion, even for just a little bit.

A week can make a lot of difference. 

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THE GOOD:  Espinosa.  He's had five hits the last two games, and balls are starting to fall in for him a little bit.  He has 12 homers and 41 RBIs this season and with his stellar defense, has to start earning some consideration for rookie of the year.

THE BAD:  Clippard and Storen.  Hard to fault these two guys, they've been doing their job all season long.  I guess when your set-up and closer fail, it's best they fail in a game you come back and end up winning.

THE UGLY:  Matt Stairs.  Grounded to first in his only at bat,.  Hitting .122 (5-for-40) this season.

THE STATS:  10 hits, two walks, six strikeouts.  2-for-6 with RISP, seven LOB, zero GIDP.  E: Espinosa (5)

NEXT GAME:  Friday at 7:05 against the Baltimore Orioles at Nats Park.  Jason Marquis (7-2, 3.67) faces Zach Britton (6-4, 3.18).

NATS NOTES:  1B Adam LaRoche had successful surgery earlier in the day.  It was reported the doctors found and repaired a SLAP tear, a sizable tear of the labrum inside his left shoulder.  The Nationals maintain that LaRoche will be ready for spring training.  Several Nationals players have undergone the same procedure, including Cristian Guzman and Jesus Flores.

The Nationals franchise-best errorless streak came to an end.  Espinosa drew Michael Morse off first base trying to make a play on a slow roller.  The streak stopped at 13-plus games and 131 1/3 innings.

Jayson Werth and Roger Bernadina led off the game with back-to-back homers off Cardinals starter Kyle Lohse.  It's the first time two players started  the game with back-to-back homers since Brad Wilkerson and Jose Vidro did it for the Expos in June 2002.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Washington Nationals GM Mike Rizzo confirmed Tuesday night after the Nats 8-6 win over the St. Louis Cardinals that 1B Adam LaRoche will indeed have season-ending labrum surgery Thursday under the care of team doctors.

"We had a meeting with our medical staff today and Adam and his representatives and the decision's been made for Adam to have surgery.  He's gonna have surgery Thursday here in Washington by Dr. [Wiemi] Douoguih and he'll begin his rehabilitation and if all goes right he'll be 100 percent by beginning of spring training."

"Obviously we're hoping it's just a clean-up," Dr. Douoguih said.  "But we'll be prepared to do everything needed to get him healed and properly treated and get him back for spring training next year."

The rehab process will depend on what the doctors find once they get into his shoulder.  If they only need to do a clean-up procedure, LaRoche's recovery will be 3-4 months.  If the damage and repair is more extensive the recovery will take up to 6-7 months.

"[LaRoche] was disappointed, frustrated that he couldn't help the club more than he had," Rizzo added.  "He feels that he let his teammates down. But this guy did everything he could to stay on the field.  He's a tough guy and tried to battle through it and just couldn't perform enough to do it and the pain after the rehab just didn't allow him to continue."

"Everything we did was to try to safely get [LaRoche] out there and produce this season," Dr. Douoguih explained.  "As soon as we recognized that this was something more problematic we did a standard program, we shut him down, put him on anti-inflammatories. We then progressed to an injection. We shut him down after that and gradually tried to work him back in.  Everything we did was gradual, really textbook.  Unfortunately he just wasn't able to get through that and he's now requiring surgery."

LaRoche's season ends after 43 games where he hit .172 with five home runs and 15 RBIs.  The Nats signed the veteran first baseman to a two-year, $16 million contact with a club option for 2013 this past off-season.

BULLPEN ALLOWS FOUR RUNS IN LATE INNINGS SPURRED BY WALKS

The Washington Nationals seemed to have things going for them last night, as they took a 6-3 lead into the late innings with a rested bullpen.  But as is their way right now, the Nats couldn't seal the deal, and the Milwaukee Brewers scored four runs across the seventh and eighth innings to snatch victory from the Nats, 7-6, before 24,722 at Miller Park.

Washington has lost four in a row, six of seven, and nine of 12.  The loss lowers their overall record to 21-27 and their road record to 10-18.  Milwaukee has won five in a row.

The Nats cruised through the middle innings with a three-run lead.  But Tyler Clippard gave up two runs in the seventh on a massive Rickie Weeks home run after walking veteran light-hitting middle infielder Craig Counsell with one out.  Clippard managed to get through the rest of the inning with a one-run lead intact.

Manager Jim Riggleman called on Sean Burnett to start the eighth, and he did his job, retiring Prince Fielder on a grounder to third.  At that point, Riggleman had his choice of right-handed relievers.  Unfortunately, Riggleman chose Henry Rodriguez instead of Todd Coffey or Drew Storen. 

Rodriguez (L, 1-1, 2.53) immediately allowed a line drive single to Casey McGehee. The fireballer was then able to strike out Mark Kotsay on a 100-MPH fastball for the second out of the inning.  But Rodriguez lost the strike zone, walking pinch-hitter Brandon Boggs, a lifetime .209 hitter -- on four pitches.

The following Jonathan Lucroy soft liner down the right field line that drew chalk was almost predictable.  Two runs scored on the play, and all that was left was for Brewers closer to walk a tightrope after striking out the first three batters of the ninth inning.

Axford K'd Laynce Nix and Roger Bernadina easily to start the ninth.  He should have ended the game with a swinging strikeout of Ian Desmond, but Lucroy couldn't handle the breaking ball in the dirt that Desmond swung through and Desmond hobbled down to first  in obvious discomfort, perhaps a recurance of the quadriceps injury that forced him to sit a game last week. 

Axford then ran into some trouble, as he allowed a looping single to Jayson Werth and walked Wilson Ramos to load the bases for Michael Morse, who in the third inning hit his first career grand slam.  Unfortunately for the Nationals, Axford found his composure and did not allow Morse to be the hero, coaxing a lazy fly ball from the new first baseman to end the game.

The bullpen implosion robbed Livan Hernandez of a win.  The Nats starter pitched six innings, allowing three earned runs on five hits and one walk, striking out four.

The final game of the series is today at 1:10 pm, pitting Jason Marquis (5-1, 4.08) against Zack Greinke (2-1, 6.43).  The Nats then head home for a six-game homestand.  I'm sure they are looking forward to some home cooking for a little while.

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THE GOOD:  Michael Morse went 3-for-5 with a double and a grand slam, the first of his career.  He's hitting .282 now for the season.

THE BAD:  Roger Bernadina went 0-for-5 out of the leadoff spot, dropping his average to .246.

THE UGLY:  Both late inning rallies were started by walking light hitters.  Craig Counsell and Brandon Boggs shouldn't scare anybody, and neither are threats to hit one out.  But Clippard and Rodriguez couldn't find the strike zone to either of them, allowing more dangerous hitters to come to bat with runners on in the seventh and eighth.

THE STATS:  11 hits, three walks, nine strikeouts.  4-for-11 with RISP, eight LOB, two GIDP.  E: Espinosa (4)

NEXT GAME:  Today at Milwaukee at 1:10 pm.  Jason Marquis (5-1, 4.08) against Zack Greinke (2-1, 6.43)

NATS NOTES:  During the game, Bill Ladson of MLB.com reported 1B Adam LaRoche, placed on the 15-day D.L., was injured more extensively than previous reported.  Not only does he have a large tear in his labrum, LaRoche also has a small tear in his rotator cuff.  LaRoche told Ladson by phone, “Hopefully a miracle happens so we can get it playable. If not, I’m not going to milk it here and hope for the best. If this doesn’t work, I’m pretty sure I’ll make the decision to get it fixed.”

There are a lot of studies out there that suggest that the anecdotal concept of "clutch" does not really exist.  As emotional beings, fans tend to remember the good (a player coming through with runners in scoring position or in a big situation) and tend to forget the equal number of times that player has failed.

Some of the more celebrated "clutch" players in history, statistics-wise, were no better in pressure situations than they were in any other situation.  It's just that we remember the good times, like Reggie Jackson's three-home run game in the World Series.  Turns out Mr. October performed more or less the way we would expect him to, commensurate with his career numbers.  He was no better -- or worse -- statistically in the playoffs.

Why the diatribe as a set-up for a game story?

I'm sure you'll read many words about how the Washington Nationals had plenty of base runners, but no one could come up with the "clutch" hit to drive them in in last night's 3-0 loss to Jonathan Niese and a pair of relievers for the New York Mets.  At least part of it is true, the Nats did have 10 hits and two walks, a total of 12 base runners over nine innings.  That's something to work with.

But this team is lacking in power and production.  There are no big hits, just strings of little hits, when they score runs.  Think back to Sunday's game in the first inning, when a couple of base hits, a walk and a double by the pitcher turned into six runs.

That's how this team has to manufacture runs with the dearth of power and contact right now.  And last night, they couldn't string anything together.  The team went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position, and left 10 men on. That says more about the lack of contact-making skills (eight strikeouts) and utter absence of power (two doubles in eight hits) than any particular player's "clutch"-ness.

The Nats also entered play not only as the worst hitting team overall in N.L., but last against left-handed pitching as well, hitting under .200 for the season against southpaws, which Niese obviously took advantage of.

Granted, they played this game for the most part in a monsoon.  The conditions were a travesty, with large puddles forming in the basepaths and in short left and right fields.  But both teams had to suffer the conditions.

Another huge contributing factor to the lack of production is first baseman Adam LaRoche.  He once again went 0-for-4, striking out twice and stranding three runners.  He's hitting .177/.291/.270 for the season, all of it right in the middle of the Nats batting order.  All of his plate appearances have come from the fourth and fifth spots in the order, and it's killing the Nats production having an out machine in the middle of their lineup every night.

LaRoche is a notorious slow-starter, but this is ridiculous.  For his career, he hits .208/.303/.385 in April and .250/.330/.432 in May and finishes hot in August and September.  At the pace he's on, he'll have to hit .400 the rest of the way to achieve his career numbers per 162 games of .268/.337/.480 with 26 home runs and 92 RBIs.

Perhaps the tear in his left shoulder rotator cuff is worse than the team believes.  LaRoche insists that it does not cause him pain, but degradation of the joint certainly could affect strength and flexibility.  It certainly would explain his performance, which at this point simply can't be shrugged off to "slow start".

The loss drops the Nationals to two games below .500 at 20-22, in an exact tie with the Mets for fourth place in the division.  A Mets team, we might add, missing David Wright, Ike Davis and Angel Pagan.

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THE GOOD:  Michael Morse went 2-for-4 with a double and an outfield assist, gunning out Justin Turner at third base..  Henry Rodriguez, Todd Coffey and Doug Slaten combined for 2 1/3 innings of one-hit, scoreless relief.

THE BAD:  Tom Gorzelanny.  He only gave up three earned runs, but he was darn lucky to do so, considering he gave up eight hits and five walks in 5 2/3 innings.  He did strike out seven, so he had that going for him, which was nice.  He also added a throwing error on a pick-off attempt for good measure.

THE UGLY:  Adam LaRoche. 0-for-4, two Ks, three LOB. 

THE STATS:  Eight hits, two walks, eight strikeouts. 1-for-9 with RISP, 10 LOB, 0 GIDP. E: Gorzelanny (1).

NEXT GAME:  Thursday at 1:10 pm at Citifield v. New York Mets.  Livan Hernandez (3-5, 3.92) faces Dillon Gee (2-0, 4.44).

Multiple reports earlier today indicated catcher Jesus Flores will be recalled to take Ryan Zimmerman's place on the roster when the Washington Nationals move the third baseman to the disabled later today with an abdominal strain, originally sustained during spring training and re-aggravated in Saturday's 8-4 loss to the New York Mets, when he slid headfirst into second on a play that didn't even draw a throw.

It's great for Flores, finally making his way back onto the big league roster after missing much of the last two seasons dealing with two different shoulder injuries that eventually needed corrective surgery.  The Nats really needed a right-handed bat off the bench, and this move addresses that more than the need to carry a third catcher.

But it's telling that the Nats have to handcuff themselves defensively when their first move to recall a right-handed bat from the minors is to summon a third catcher.  Usually when a player gets hurt, the team will recall a player at that position to take his place. 

Currently at AAA-Syracuse, the only 3B listed on the roster is Alex Valdez.  I dare you to tell me who he is without clicking on the link.  Brian Bixler is capable of playing the position, but he's a middle infielder by nature and hits like one when he's in the big leagues.  So you can see where the Nats hands are tied on this thing.

The other complicating factor is Adam LaRoche's various injuries.  Already hampered by a partially torn rotator cuff in his throwing shoulder for which he missed Saturday's game, he sustained a leg injury in Sunday's game and was lifted for a pinch-runner, forcing Pudge Rodriguez to finish the game at first. 

Flores is insurance should that circumstance happen again, but LaRoche's injury situation is not going to go away.  Even slightly torn rotator cuffs don't just get better, especially while playing with it -- they need surgery.  Its just a question of whether he can get through the season playing with the discomfort.  LaRoche has maintained that it hurts when he throws but it's not affecting his swing.  But loss of joint stability is going to affect strength, whether it hurts him or not.  Pain is the symptom, not the injury.

If LaRoche needs to be disabled at some point, the Nats will have to go to a deeper option (hopefully) than making Pudge the full-time 1B, but again, the options aren't enticing.  The organization wants Chris Marrero to see a full season of AAA pitching, and the other option is journeyman Michael Aubrey.  Either one would be a serious drop-off from the league average production they expect to get out of LaRoche.

All this leaves the Nats in a very precarious position.  Jerry Hairston and Alex Cora, two players much more suited for backup roles at this point in their careers, become the starting third baseman for three-to-four weeks while Zimmerman convalesces.  Jayson Werth slides into the No. 3 slot.  Most likely, Jim Riggleman moves Rick Ankiel, of the .312 lifetime OBP, into the two-hole and rookie Wilson Ramos into the fifth or sixth spot, depending on the progression of Michael Morse.

And look out if Morse doesn't start hitting.  He doesn't have to hit like he did in spring training, but it would be nice if he could start hitting like he did last season.  But we've been through all that exhaustively.

Not ideal, with six games at home this week with playoff contending Philadelphia and Milwaukee.  Hold on to your hats and pray for good pitching, NatsTown.

Multiple reports from Citi Field today that Adam LaRoche's left shoulder, the one in which he has a partial tear of the rotator cuff, is bothering him again after making a throw the other night in Florida and will be given the night off.  Michael Morse moves over to first base and Jerry Hairston takes over right.

So far, it just sounds like this is an opportunity to rest LaRoche, especially since the Nats face lefty Chris Capuano for the Mets.  Originally, the plan was for Hairston to platoon with Rick Ankiel (lifetime .234/.285/.386 v. LHPs) in center when opposing a left-handed pitcher, but LaRoche's discomfort trumps that tonight.  And with no other right-handed outfielders on the roster, Ankiel will be left to fend for himself.

It gives the Nats a short bench today, with only INF Alex Cora, PH Matt Stairs OF Laynce Nix and C Pudge Rodriguez available.

This is the first time in the regular season LaRoche has been given time off because of the shoulder.  He has said that the only time the pain bothers him is when he throws -- that it does not affect his swing.  But putting the pain aside, LaRoche is injured, and there has to be a loss of structural integrity, leading to strength loss, no matter how slight a tear we might be taking about.

The Nationals are treating this like it isn't that big a deal, and it may not be.  But a rotator cuff tear does not heal itself, especially not without rest.  Don't be surprised if we're talking about this injury on a repeated basis this season.

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STARTING LINEUPS

NATIONALS:  Desmond-6, Werth-9, Zimmerman-5, Morse-3, Ramos-2, Ankiel-8, Espinosa-4, J.Hairston-7, Gorzelanny-1.

METS:  Reyes-6, Pagan-8, Wright-5, Beltran-9, S.Hairston-7, Davis-3, Hu-4, Nickeas-2, Capuano-1

THE RESULT:  A win is a win.  Despite two errors and several other defensive miscues, and the hitters going 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position, last night the Washington Nationals broke a seven-game losing streak to their personal nemesis Florida Marlins, 5-3 in 11 innings.

Adam LaRoche hit his first home run of the year with a man on in the top of the 11th, while four relievers combined for six shutout innings.  The win raises the Nats record to 2-4 through the first two series of the young season.

LaRoche, a notoriously slow starter, came into his final at bat of the night just 3-for-23 with no extra base hits.  But with Ryan Zimmerman on first base after a single off Marlins reliever Edward Mujica (L, 1-1), LaRoche finally saw a pitch he could handle, depositing in the stands to straight away right.

Sean Burnett then entered and finished the Marlins off, earning his second save of the season.  Burnett's inning capped a remarkable performance by the bullpen.  He, Todd Coffey (W, 1-0, 8.10), Drew Storen and Tyler Clippard combined to limit Florida to two hits over six innings.  The four struck out eight and did not walk a batter.  It was as dominating a job as you could ask for.

Particularly strong was Drew Storen.  He struck out three in two innings and was downright filthy.  He was bringing a 95 MPH fastball and late-breaking slider that was simply untouchable.  Clippard also entered and escaped from a no-out, two-on situation to keep the game tied at a critical juncture.

Nats starter John Lannan looked like he wasn't going to be in this game very long, allowing the first three Marlins batters to reach base and giving up two runs before recording an out.  But the lefty settled down and went five innings, allowing three earned runs on seven hits and two walks, striking out four.  It was not a great performance by any means, but he kept him team in the game when he did not have his best stuff.

The game was full of errors and defensive blunders from the Nats.  Rookie catcher Wilson Ramos and left fielders Laynce Nix were both charged with errors, and Rick Ankiel butchered a play in center field, but on this night anyway the gaffes did not ultimately hurt the Nationals.

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THE GOOD:  The bullpen.  Riggleman definitely has his 'pen laid out where Clippard, Storen and Burnett pitch when tied or leading, and the others when in deficit.  They all did their jobs last night in spectacular fashion, but it's a fine line to walk, expecting your starter and the same three relief pitchers to all do their jobs to earn a win.

THE BAD:  Danny Espinosa was caught stealing third with one out and tow on in the 10th inning.  In an attempt to get an extra base with one out in the inning, Espinosa made a rookie mistake.  He should have stayed put and given Ian Desmond and Jayson Werth two cracks to get him in.  Often in baseball, patience is better than aggression.

THE UGLY:  For all the emphasis on defense in the offseason, the Nationals lead the N.L. in errors through the first week of the season with eight in six games.

THE STATS:  Eight hits, three walks.  1-for-7 with RISP, 4 LOB, 2 GIDP.  E: Ramos (1), Nix (1).

NEXT GAME:  Friday at 4:10 pm at New York Mets.  Jordan Zimmermann (0-1, 3.00) v. R.A. Dickey (1-0, 0.00)

Today at Nats Park, with snow still covering the field where shadows keep the sun away, the Washington Nationals introduced first baseman Adam LaRoche as the newest member of the team.  LaRoche signed a two-year deal worth $16 million, plus a team option on a third year last week.

The oft-traveled left-handed 31-year old joins his fifth Major League team in his eighth big league season.

LaRoche brings remarkably consistent -- if not excellent -- offensive numbers.  He's hit 25 home runs in each of his last three seasons and hit between .261 and .285 in each of his big league seasons.  He averages .271/.339/.488 with 26 home runs and 93 RBIs per 162 games throughout his career.

In addition, he brings a solid glove to his position, a point of emphasis this off-season from General Manager Mike Rizzo.  "He was a player we identified early in the process as a guy that fit perfectly for our ballclub; offensively, defensively, left side of the plate, great character on and off the field, good in the dugout, good in the clubhouse, good in the community."

"It's great to be here," LaRoche said after modelling his crisp, home white No. 25 uniform. "I love the direction this team is going and what Mike [Rizzo] has done so far. I think this is a great start, it's gonna be a fun year."

LaRoche talked about the influence that current -- and former -- Nationals had in convincing him that Washington was the place he should sign. 

"I talked to Matt Capps a little bit.  Great guy, who I have a ton of respect for, and he said it's a great place to play.  Adam Dunn, same way, he was here a couple years and he said 'the direction they're going from the front office to field operations, coaching staff, everything is first class' and totally recommended it.  When you hear that from guys that have been around, guys you respect, and guys that have been here, played here, it makes the decision pretty easy." 

LaRoche also spoke about the pride he takes in fielding his position well.  "I've always said that hitting is streaky. You're gonna have your hot streaks, you're gonna have your slumps.  Defense is -- especially I think in the infield in my position -- I have a chance to bail guys out a lot. I can make 'em look really bad or I can make 'em look really good and vice verse. It's something I've always taken pride in.

I love when those guys make a great play and an errant throw to be able to bail 'em out and potentially save some runs.  I think pitchers appreciate it just as much as the guy that threw the ball in the dirt. Obviously it helps them, saves them some pitches, saves some runs and ultimately win some games.

It's something I work hard on, and I like the fact that I can pick those guys up as much as anything."

The two position players Rizzo has acquired this off-season, LaRoche and Jayson Werth, both bring a more complete package than the players they replace in the order: Adam Dunn and Josh Willingham. 

Rizzo hopes the offense will be a wash, but if not he's confident that the defensive upgrade and overall athleticism -- he mentioned the ability of both players to go from first to third or score from second on a single -- will more than make up for the home runs lost with Dunn's departure.

Time will tell if Rizzo's recipe will cook.  But it's his soup.

Multiple sources confirm the Washington Nationals have signed free agent first baseman Adam LaRoche to a two ear deal, reportedly for $16 million total.

LaRoche is a left-handed hitting eight-year veteran who averages .271/.339/.488 with 25 homers and 93 RBIs per 162 games throughout his career.

LaRoche has hit exactly 25 home runs each of the last three seasons, including in 2010 with Arizona.  His slash line of .261/.320/.468 were all below career norms however.

The 30 year old is considered a good fielder, though advanced metrics don't really bear that out, as his UZR/150 ranked him in the bottom third of qualifying first baseman last season.

LaRoche was the "last man standing", as one-by-one the Nats watched first base candidates sign elsewhere this off-season, including Carlos Pena with the Chicago Cubs and Derrick Lee with the Baltimore Orioles.

The Nationals lineup is now pretty well set, as LaRoche will slide into the fourth or fifth spot in the lineup with Ryan Zimmerman and Jayson Werth in the heart of the order.

We'll have more analysis and opinion on the Nats latest signing tomorrow.

By all accounts, Carlos Pena is a quality human being and leader of men.  There are several people with the Washington Nationals that would have loved him to be a leader in this organization.  They liked his left-handed power bat and nimbleness around first base.  He would have been a great free agent signing for this team.

Four years ago.

Anybody in baseball could have had Pena for a song after the 2006 season, which he spent much of in the minor leagues, earning just 37 plate appearances for the Boston Red Sox.  Only dumpster-diving Tampa Bay took a chance on the one-time top prospect, and to Pena's credit, he finally put it all together, as the next season he had a career year (.282/.411/.627, 46 HRs, 121 RBIs).

Since then?  It's been a steady decline in average and on base percentage in each season, culminating in 2010 with .196/.325/.407. 

As I wrote several days ago, Carlos Pena's bat is falling apart.  I will be shocked if he rebounds anywhere near the normal numbers he's put up for the Tampa Bay Rays the last four seasons, and I feel the Chicago Cubs did the Nats a favor by signing him to a one-year, $10 million contract.

There were rumors around the Winter Meetings that Pena played hurt last season on a bum ankle, and that finally healthy he would return to establish precedents, in which case his agent was prescient in getting Pena to accept Chicago's one-year offer.  I don't buy it.  A bum ankle might be responsible for the power drop, but if anything his walk rate should have stayed steady.  Instead, it was the lowest in his four years in Tampa.

So now what?

The Nationals really don't want to fill the position with an in-house option, because frankly they don't really have any.  There's no one ready in the minors, and with GM Mike Rizzo's emphasis on building around pitching and defense, it runs counter to his beliefs to switch Josh Willingham or Michael Morse to full-time duty there.

Of course, that assumes Josh Willingham makes it to opening day wearing a Curly W.

So the Nats will presumably turn their attention to Adam LaRoche, one of the few remaining free agent first baseman still standing.

(Especially since Paul Konerko re-signed this morning with the Chicago White Sox.)

LaRoche is a decent hitter, a decent fielder, and a decent guy.  There's just not that much to get excited about.  But there's also not that much to really be afraid of.

He's a 30-year old left-handed lifetime .271/.339/.488 hitter, and in seven full-time seasons he's never hit above or below the .271 mark by more than .014 points.  He averages 26 homers and 93 RBIs per 162 games, and is competent -- but not elite -- at first base.  His range factor and fielding percentage are in the top half of NL first baseman over his career, and his UZR of 4.8 ranked him third among qualifiers in the majors last season.

He's decent.  That's the extent of what you can say about Adam LaRoche.  If the Nats can ink him to a two-year deal, he'd be a competent -- if somewhat unexciting -- alternative at first base.

Of course, the team just up the road 45 miles is still looking for a full-time first baseman as well.  Bidding war on Adam LaRoche?  Let's hope not.  He's a fall-back guy, not a prized commodity.  There's a reason he's played on five teams in seven years -- teams are always trying to upgrade the position.

Hopefully this season Chris Marerro finally puts it all together in the minors and gives Nats fans reason to hope the position can be filled with home-grown talent in the near future.  Otherwise, first base -- along with starting pitching -- has to be a point of emphasis for Rizzo when he prepares to use those extra first round picks he got when Adam Dunn walked.