"The 23-year-old has not played right field in a regular season MLB game. Wood had a little over 400 innings there in the minor leagues. He has been exclusively a left fielder or designated hitter over his season and a half in the majors. Nats manager Blake Butera hasn't made any declarations about a position change."
"Daylen Lile was the primary right fielder after he came up in May. Lile hit the ground running offensively, batting .299/.347/.498 through his first 91 MLB contests. It was a different story on the other side of the ball. Lile was among the worst defensive outfielders in the league. He's a good athlete with plus speed but turned a handful of easy outs into hits with poor routes or questionable decisions."
"If the Nationals feel he's the better corner defender of the two, they could prefer to have Wood in right field against lineups that skew left-handed. They'll each get a decent amount of DH work as well. Dylan Crews can play anywhere in the outfield, though he doesn't have much left field experience in pro ball."
The Washington Nationals are experimenting with All-Star outfielder James Wood at right field during Spring Training, a position he hasn't played in regular season MLB games despite accumulating over 400 minor league innings there. Manager Blake Butera has not announced any permanent position change. This exploration comes as the team evaluates its outfield options following Daylen Lile's rookie season, where he hit .299 but struggled defensively at both corner positions. Wood has also shown poor defensive metrics, though not as severe as Lile's. The Nationals may strategically deploy Wood in right field against left-handed heavy lineups while utilizing both players as designated hitters. Dylan Crews and Jacob Young provide additional outfield depth, with Young being the team's best defender but limited by offensive production.
Read at MLB Trade Rumors
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