Amidst all the swirling rumors about where slugger Juan Soto will ultimately end up at the trade deadline, the Washington Nationals have added a little outfield insurance, signing veteran David Dahl.
Dahl came up to the big leagues in 2016 with the Colorado Rockies and hit .315 over 63 games.
He emerged as a power threat in the Rockies lineup in 2018, hitting 16 home runs.
He spent last season with the Texas Rangers, where he hit just .210 with four home runs and 18 RBI.
Jon Heyman reported the news on Twitter, mentioning that Dahl likely isn’t a replacement for Soto, but expressing that this is an interesting move by the Nationals.
Nats agree to deal with OF David Dahl. No one really qualifies as Soto insurance but interesting they added a veteran outfielder now.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) July 22, 2022
Dahl Heads To D.C.
This certainly is an intriguing move by the Nationals.
Dahl hasn’t been himself since 2019 and has battled injuries throughout his career.
It is at the very least a good move to sign a veteran player for a little bit of depth.
The Nationals are likely not going anywhere, and it seems like the trading of Soto to a contender is inevitable at this point in time.
Again, as Heyman stated, this move doesn’t exactly qualify as insurance for Soto.
It is still interesting that the Nationals would try to do this in the middle of the season, especially when they’re well out of the postseason race.
The terms of the deal have not yet been revealed, but we can assume that Dahl will likely report to the minor leagues prior to joining the big-league club.
At the very least, Dahl provides a little versatility in the outfield and a veteran presence in the clubhouse, as well as a solid bench bat if he is needed.
We’ll see how this pans out.
NEXT: MLB Insider Details The Juan Soto Flight Saga