Adam Eaton set for return to outfield, top of lineup

The split paths of Michael A. Taylor and Adam Eaton are expected to put the duo next to each other often next season.

Taylor spent 2017 redefining his stock with galloping play in the outfield and mighty swings during the postseason. Eaton’s year was undone by a snapped anterior cruciate ligament, stymieing his hope of leading the Nationals’ offense from the top of the order.

What each dealt with in 2017 has determined what they will be doing in 2018. Eaton is expected to play left field and leadoff. Taylor is set to play center field, where he was a Gold Glove finalist last season. Both situations turned part-time endeavors to full-time change.

For Eaton, he will be putting his injured season to rest. He expects to be ready for spring training. He is desperate to participate at the same level as everyone else in West Palm Beach, Florida, so revved to go that new manager Dave Martinez is telling him to take a breath… in December.

“Oh it was brutal,” Eaton said of last season. “The worst year of my life, I think it’s safe to say. The longest summer of my life. That’s what I told all of my cousins: If you want to slow down the summer at all like you did when you were 12 years old, come hang out with me. Slow down to a crawl. It was brutal.

“But what made it better was, first, my son and my wife at home, great support system. My mom and dad. Her mom and dad. Great support system with your family. You really find out in difficult times who’s in your corner. As well as your teammates. I have great teammates here. Great staff, top to bottom. It really showed me who’s in your corner. You don’t want to have to go through tough times, but when you do it’s nice to have good people in your corner. I cannot wait til spring training.”

Martinez said he has begun jotting down possible lineups. He chose not to reveal the options during Nationals Winterfest over the weekend, but had said in the past that Eaton would lead off and play left field. One of those things is natural and pleases Eaton. The other is left field.

Of the three outfield spots, Eaton has played the fewest games in his career in left. He has played 36 games in left, 382 in center — which he was originally brought to Washington to play — and 118 in right. Eaton moving to left from center reduces his general value and will be part of the final assessment of the trade to acquire him. Washington sent two top pitching prospects — Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez — to the Chicago White Sox for Eaton.

“Left field is definitely less ground to cover,” Eaton said. “I think it’s the most difficult position, honestly. Right is very comfortable. Center is very comfortable. But righty hooks and the way the ball travels from a lefty throwing to second base and to home, it’s definitely a tricky position. I’m excited to get after it and learn as much as I can. I’ve had a few games over there, but not a lot of time over there. I’m looking forward to the challenge.”

Eaton pushed his rehab to see if he could be available should the Nationals had advanced in the postseason. They didn’t, so he slowed his rehabilitation. Eaton had been running by the end of the season, knowing that sprinting around the bases would be the ultimate test. He is not sprinting now, logically waiting until spring training arrives to run his body through some hard tests.

“I want to be ready when everyone else is ready, for sure,” Eaton said. “But again, I just turned 29, so I’m getting a little older. Hopefully that wisdom of being almost 30 will come into play. It’s definitely a balance.”

Taylor’s adjustments will be different. He enters spring training for the first time as the expected starter in center field. His rise last season coincided with opportunity following Eaton’s injury. It was defined in the playoffs when Taylor hit two home runs and drove in eight runs in the National League Division Series. His production stabilized the bottom of the Nationals’ order.

However, he still struck out a lot, and his plate discipline numbers remained about the same. Taylor swings at pitches outside of the strike zone 31.3 percent of the time, according to FanGraphs. Last season, that percentage was 30.2. And, his contact rate with pitches outside of the strike zone went down. But, his overall results went up. Taylor’s average rose 40 points year-over-year and his OPS went up 152 points. He was also a Gold Glove finalist in center field.

“I felt like I made some adjustments that were necessary, but there’s still a lot I want to work on,” Taylor said.

Taylor’s eight assists were second in the National League among center fielders. Despite that, he thinks his throws could be improved. Small pains throughout the season kept him from playing long toss as much as he wanted. So, he thinks his throws suffered.

“I didn’t have any arm problems, but you can tell when the ball is coming out good,” Taylor said. “I felt like I made some good throws during the year, but I’d just like to be a little more consistent with accuracy and the way the ball is carrying.”

Combined with Harper, who again did not attend Nationals Winterfest, a healthy Eaton and daily Taylor will give Washington one of the league’s best defensive outfields. Eaton had to go through a hard time to align it this way. Taylor had to prosper in Eaton’s absence. After both happened, Washington has a new look in the outfield.