The Chicago White Sox designated outfielder Adam Eaton for assignment on Wednesday, opening the door for a potential reunion with the Washington Nationals.
Eaton, 32, had just returned from the Injured List last Friday with a strained right hamstring, but the White Sox needed to clear a roster spot to reinstate outfielder Adam Engel, who was returning from the IL himself.
Although Eaton has struggled this season, he could be an immediate fix for the outfield-needy Nationals, who just lost human torch Kyle Schwarber to a hamstring injury. Eaton, who signed a one-year, $8 million deal with Chicago in the offseason, is hitting .201/.298/.344 with eight doubles, two triples, five home runs and 28 RBI over 58 games in 2021.
Considering they'd have to absorb his remaining salary, it's highly unlikely that another team puts in a waiver claim for Eaton, who would still be owed a $1 million buyout of his $8.5 million club option for 2022, a cost the White Sox will likely eat. If Eaton goes unclaimed, his next team could sign him for the prorated minimum.
This is where the Nationals would enter the picture.
Eaton was highly productive in Washington as a member of the World Series champion Nationals in 2019, slashing .279/.365/.428 for a .792 OPS with 25 doubles, seven triples, 15 home runs and 49 RBI. But he suffered a down year in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, averaging just .226 at the plate with four homers and 17 RBI in 41 games.
He has since regressed even further in a similar — albeit slightly larger — sample size.