The struggle to find a First Baseman for the Nationals has never been easy and it’s…

The Nationals have sent Joey Meneses to Triple-A Rochester after Thursday’s game. Eddie Rosario has cleared waivers and is now a free agent. The corresponding move for Meneses has not been announced yet.

Meneses, 32, is heading to the minors for the first time in almost two years. The Nationals traded away Juan Soto, Josh Bell, and Ehire Adrianza at the 2022 deadline to make room. Meneses was added to the roster at that time, despite being a 30-year-old with no major league experience. He surprised everyone by hitting well in his debut, playing 56 games and hitting 13 home runs. His slash line was .324/.367/.563 with a wRC+ of 157.

In spite of the promising start, he has struggled to maintain his performance. Last year, he hit 13 home runs in 154 games, with a batting line of .275/.321/.401 in 2023. While his wRC+ of 96 wasn’t terrible, he lacks speed on the basepaths and is not known for his defensive skills at first base or in the outfield. Unfortunately, his performance in 2024 has been even worse, with only three home runs and a slash line of .235/.294/.310, resulting in a wRC+ of 72.

The Nationals have made it clear that they are ready to move on, but they need to find a replacement for first base. Harold Ramirez is an option, but he also struggles defensively and is not hitting well this season. Joey Gallo played there earlier but is currently injured. Jesse Winker has limited experience at first base in the minors. Trey Lipscomb is a utility player focused on defense. Juan Yepez is in Triple-A and not on the 40-man roster. Free agents like Jose Abreu and Mike Ford are available, having been released due to their own struggles.

In terms of service time, Meneses is close to reaching the two-year mark, with 107 days left to go. With the 2024 season at its 99th day, he still has a chance to reach that milestone if he can improve his performance in the coming weeks.

Regarding Rosario, the team has placed him on release waivers due to his poor performance and high salary. Now a free agent, he can sign with any team willing to take a chance on him.