The Nationals tried and failed to work out a trade for Brandon Phillips, who had played for Dusty Baker when Baker was the manager of the Cincinnati Reds, and when Phillips rejected the proposed trade, Washington turned to Daniel Murphy, agreeing to a three-year, $37.5 million deal on Thursday.
The former Met might actually be a better fit in the immediate future, because Washington had a glaring need for a left-handed hitter -- somebody to help Bryce Harper balance out all of the right-handed hitting in the Nationals’ order. Murphy isn’t close to Phillips in how he plays defense, and it’s possible that a lot of Murphy’s at-bats might come as a first baseman, depending on whether Ryan Zimmerman can avoid injuries and stay on the field.