For the first time in his career Laynce Nix was an above-average hitter last season, batting .291 with a .350 on-base percentage and .455 slugging percentage in a part-time role for the Reds.
Unfortunately he missed the final month of the season with an ankle injury, chose to become a free agent when the Reds dropped him from the 40-man roster in November, and has now had to settle for a minor-league deal with the Nationals.
It’s tough to know what to make of Nix’s solid 2010 campaign because he showed decent plate discipline after years of being one of the most hacktastic players in baseball, but it was only for 165 at-bats. Nix has always had good power, so if he’s actually learned to control the strike zone even a little bit he could be useful to the Nationals in a backup role.
