Could a utility man emerge for the Nationals?

The so-called utility man has always been thought of in somewhat negative terms. If someone plays multiple positions, it’s probably because he’s not good enough to play every day at one position.

While that line of thinking has mostly held true throughout baseball history, there have been some more recent examples of teams treasuring a good player’s versatility. Utility men don’t have to come off the bench. Sometimes they hold regular spots in the lineup, just not at the same position in the field on a day-to-day basis.

And the best of them can be handsomely rewarded for those rare skills. Ben Zobrist made nearly $87 million in career earnings while playing four different positions (shortstop, second base, left field, right field) at least 200 times in the majors, plus occasional work at three other positions (center field, first base, third base).

And now Tommy Edman is the latest utility man to cash in, signing a five-year, $74 million extension with the Dodgers on Friday. Edman, who spent the first five seasons of his career with the Cardinals, was traded to Los Angeles this summer and became a key contributor to a World Series title, winning National League Championship Series MVP honors while starting games at both shortstop and in center field.

Not every team values versatility as much as the Dodgers, but Nationals manager Davey Martinez has always spoken highly of players who can be used all over the field and when possible has preferred to keep at least one on his roster.

Since 2018, the Nats have featured the likes of Howie Kendrick, Josh Harrison and Ildemaro Vargas, all of them capable of playing both the infield and the outfield (though it should be noted Kendrick never played the outfield again after rupturing his Achilles’ tendon).

None of those players is still employed by the Nationals, with Vargas somewhat surprisingly released earlier this fall. There are some remaining young players who could fill that role, though.

Trey Lipscomb made a name for himself in college as someone who plays everywhere in the infield, and the Nats have always envisioned him doing the same as a pro. He wound up seeing most of his action at third base this season out of necessity, but he did get a little bit of playing time at both second and first base in the majors while also appearing at shortstop and in left field at Triple-A Rochester.

Obviously, Lipscomb needs to prove first and foremost he can hit big-league pitching with some consistency. But if he can pull that off, there could be a place for him long-term as a jack-of-all-trades utility man.

The Nationals also have a versatile infielder in José Tena, who didn’t look all that comfortable at third base following his acquisition from the Guardians but looked better at second base and played primarily shortstop in the minors. There also has been some discussion about trying the 23-year-old in the outfield at some point to see if he can handle it.

Darren Baker, meanwhile, already has played both infield and outfield in the majors, albeit in a very brief look at season’s end. The 25-year-old may or may not prove to be a big leaguer in the long run, but if he does make it, it will almost certainly be as a utility man, a role he held at Triple-A prior to his promotion.

Are any of these guys going to develop into the kind of player Edman is, good enough to earn a huge contract extension? Perhaps not.

But given the increasing value placed on defensive versatility by many clubs, and given Martinez’s stated appreciation of players who can do it, the Nationals are probably going to try and see if they can develop somebody into a utility man who can make a difference on the roster in a variety of ways.