Philipsburg-Osceola’s Matt Adams signs one-year deal with Washington Nationals
Philipsburg-Osceola grad Matt Adams is on his way back to Washington.
According to multiple reports Saturday, the Philipsburg native and free-agent first baseman signed a one-year contract with the Washington Nationals. Although the move is not yet official — most news outlets are reporting the deal is pending a physical — the Washington Post is reporting it is for $3 million with a $1 million buyout and a mutual option for 2020. The pending deal comes just four months after the Nats initially traded Adams away in a cost-cutting measure.
The move is widely regarded as a bench-boosting one for Washington. The seven-year MLB vet will be looked upon as a likely spot starter and pinch-hitter against right-handers, backing up two-time all-star infielder Ryan Zimmerman.
Although Adams struggled at the end of last season, batting .158 in 57 at-bats with the St. Louis Cardinals, he did just fine in 94 games with the Nats — batting .257 and smacking 18 home runs.
Adams, who led P-O to a district championship in 2006, should be a familiar name to baseball fans in Centre County. “Big City” earned all-state honors as a catcher his senior season before moving on to Slippery Rock — where he finished with the career records for both batting average (.473) and slugging percentage (.754).
He was drafted in the 23rd round of the 2009 MLB draft by the St. Louis Cardinals, an organization where he played exclusively until 2017, when he was traded to the Atlanta Braves. He then signed with the Nats, before being traded back to the Cardinals and then — on Saturday — heading back to the Nats.
In 707 career MLB games, Adams boasts a .266 batting average to go along with 96 home runs and 332 RBIs.
The Washington Nationals will open their season at home March 28 against the New York Mets.
This story was originally published December 15, 2018 at 5:42 PM with the headline "Philipsburg-Osceola’s Matt Adams signs one-year deal with Washington Nationals."