Mike Rizzo and Daniel Murphy both deferred to Dusty Baker, saying it was ultimately the manager's decision, when asked where the Washington Nationals' new second baseman would hit in the Nationals' lineup next season.
Rizzo did, however, offer his own thoughts on what the addition will mean for the Nationals' 2016 lineup when he spoke to reporters after Murphy's introductory press conference in the nation's capital.
"The fact that he makes our lineup so long makes me feel good," Rizzo said. "Where is he going to hit? I want him to hit where he hits the most times, the more plate appearances the better for me. You're talking about a guy that struck out the least amount in all of Major League Baseball last year. He's a professional hitter. Can fall out of bed hitting. And he's shown it against us, he hits good pitchers, he hits lefties/righties, there's no splits."
Murphy moved around the New York Mets' lineup last season, getting the majority of his plate appearances (201 PAs) in the three-hole (.255/.274/.422) while also hitting fifth (.228/.282/.359 in 156 PAs), second (.370/.425/.650 in 113 PAs), fourth (.357/.410/.446 in 61 PAs). He's spent the majority of his career in the two-hole (1,746 of 3,619 PAs), putting up a .306/.351/.445 line in that spot. Where will he hit for Baker's Nationals?
When the Nationals acquired Ben Revere in this past weekend's trade with the Toronto Blue Jays, Rizzo talked about what the addition of the 27-year-old outfielder gave the Nationals.
"We get a lot of things that help us," he said. "We get ourselves a good left-handing hitting outfielder who plays all three positions, can hit at the top of the order, can steal you a base, brings you energy, brings you a smile to the ballpark every night."
Revere, who made 484 of his 634 plate appearances last season as the Phillies or Blue Jays' leadoff hitter, put up a .302/.334/.370 line in that spot.
In a conference call with reporters on Monday, Revere was asked where he'd ideally like to hit with the Nationals?
"I’d probably say either third or fourth," he joked, as quoted by Washington Post writer James Wagner:
"Leadoff is cool for me. Honestly, with my game as a contact hitter, pulling the ball or driving the ball the other way, just trying get on base and score. Top of the lineup or bottom of the lineup. Anyway I can help my team win. As long as I’m in the lineup, it doesn’t matter. Let’s see what Dusty wants to do. No preference. Whatever makes the team better. If I have to bat ninth, just to make the team better; if we have like two leadoff guys up — kind did that with the Blue Jays for a good minute and we were winning games — we can do that. But if they want me leadoff, I’ll go leadoff. I’ll see what they want to do. But with me, they can put me anywhere in the lineup and I’d be fine."
Neither of the Nationals' two roster additions strike out or walk much, which Revere acknowledged when asked to describe his approach at the plate, though they do get on base.
"I’m a line drive hitter," Revere said, again, as quoted in The Washington Post.
"I may hit one or two home runs, who knows. I’ve heard from coaches, ‘Leave that to the big boys. You get doubles, triples? Cool. Singles? That’s great. Your stolen bases are your doubles and triples. Use that to your advantage.’"
Rizzo said much the same when asked about Revere's offensive talents.
"He’s one of the fastest players in the league," Rizzo told reporters.
"He can steal you a base. He plays good defense. He’s a left-handed contact hitter. When we talk about players like Ben Revere and his skillset, he doesn’t hit many doubles and he doesn’t get many walks, but the guy gets on base.
"Last year he was at a .342 clip. His singles turn into doubles. We feel good about him. He’s hit at the top of the lineup each stage of his career."
"I think when you look at the athleticism we’ve added," Rizzo explained, "the accomplished major league hitters that we’ve put on the roster, the guys that don’t strike out much and move the ball around and can play really opportunistic offense. I think that was what we were going into the offseason trying to do and I think we’ve accomplished a lot of our goals."
So, if you were Dusty Baker, where would everyone hit in the Nationals' 2016 lineup as it's currently constructed?
Put on your Dusty Baker cap or jersey (no.12), put a toothpick in your mouth and write out your ideal lineup in the comments section below...