Reports: Nationals sign utility man Adrianza, bring back pitcher Sanchez on minor-league deal

The Washington Nationals reportedly made two signings on Sunday aimed at bolstering the team’s depth. 

The first move was a one-year, $1.5 million deal with utility man Ehire Adrianza. The second was a minor-league deal to bring back starting pitcher Anibal Sanchez. The team hasn’t announced either deal, but both have been reported by multiple outlets. Daniel Álvarez-Montes of El Extra Base was first to report the Adrianza contract, while MLB Network’s Jon Heyman broke the Sanchez deal.

Adrianza, 32, has played 20-plus games at every position except center field, pitcher and catcher in his nine-year career with the Giants, Twins and Braves. Mainly an infielder, Adrianza’s two main positions are shortstop and third base. Last season, he hit .247 with five homers and 28 RBIs in 209 plate appearances for the World Series champion Braves. 

The signing of the switch-hitting utility man adds to an already veteran-laden infield. Before the lockout, the Nationals signed shortstop Alcides Escobar, who had a bounce-back 2021 campaign after not playing in the MLB for two seasons, and second baseman Cesar Hernandez, a reliable hitter and defender with the White Sox, Guardians and Phillies for the last decade, to major-league contracts. The Nationals also have veteran infielders Dee Strange-Gordon and Maikel Franco on minor-league deals.

Sanchez, meanwhile, will join the Nationals in camp after the 38-year-old impressed the team at a recent workout. According to the New York Post’s Joel Sherman, Sanchez would be paid $2 million with $1.5 million in potential bonuses if the team selects his contract. 

Sanchez, once a star pitcher with the Marlins and Tigers, most recently played in the big leagues for the Nationals in 2019 and 2020. He was a reliable starter in 2019 to help the Nationals win the World Series, going 11-8 with a 3.85 earned-run average. However, he struggled in 2020 with a 6.62 ERA and didn’t play in the majors last season.