Free-agent first baseman Adam LaRoche and the Washington Nationals agreed to a two-year contract, pending a physical, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press. Speaking on condition of anonymity Tuesday night because the deal had not been completed, the person said the agreement contains a mutual option for 2013. LaRoche would fill a big need for the Nationals, who lost first baseman and cleanup hitter Adam Dunn to the Chicago White Sox via free agency this offseason. Like Dunn, LaRoche bats left-handed, and he would join a middle of the lineup that includes new arrival Jayson Werth and third baseman Ryan Zimmerman, who both are right-handed hitters. The 31-year-old LaRoche hit .261 with 25 homers and a career-high 100 RBIs for the Arizona Diamondbacks last season, when he struck out 172 times. He has a career .271 average with 161 homers and 569 RBIs during seven major league seasons with four clubs, including the Atlanta Braves, Pittsburgh Pirates and a brief stint with the Boston Red Sox. While he doesn't provide the same power as Dunn -- who hit at least 38 homers each of the past seven seasons and drove in at least 100 runs in six of those years -- LaRoche represents an upgrade defensively. He has a .995 career fielding percentage. Read more: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=5990116
