Hot Stove: Kurt Suzuki Signs Two-Year Deal With Nationals

The hot stove is officially preheating! According to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, the Washington Nationals have signed catcher Kurt Suzuki to a two-year, $10 million deal.

Suzuki, 35, spent the last two seasons in Atlanta where he broke out at the plate. In 2017, he hit a career hit 19 home runs and posted a .887 OPS. He carried that success into 2018, and in 105 games he hit .271/.332/.444 with 24 doubles, 12 home runs, a 108 wRC+, and 50 RBI’s.

However, Suzuki has had his farm share of struggles defensively. According to Baseball Prospectus’ defensive metric he ranked 105th out of 117 big league catchers.

This is a reunion for Washington and the long-time veteran backstop. Suzuki spent the second half of the 2012 season and all of 2013 in a Nationals uniform.