Washington Nationals make right decision to option Carter Kieboom

It appeared as though Carter Kieboom was destined to be the Washington Nationals starting third baseman. Although the Nationals had dabbled in the trade market for a third baseman, having been linked to Eugenio Suarez in particular, nothing had happened. Kieboom was still penciled in as the starter at the hot corner.

That changed on Saturday. The Nationals have optioned Kieboom to AAA to open the season.

Washington Nationals make the right choice

With this move, the Nationals infield will look different come Opening Day. Josh Harrison, who had resurrected his career in Washington last year, will presumably start the season as their primary third baseman with Starlin Castro moving back to second.

This was a move that the Nationals had to make. Kieboom may well be a key part of their future, but he has yet to show that he is ready for the majors. He has produced a miserable 50 OPS+ in his 165 plate appearances, hitting one double and two homers. While he has displayed a solid batting eye with 21 walks, he has also struck out 49 times.

Yet, the Nationals still hoped that Kieboom would be able to take over the position this year. Those hopes were dashed as he struggled in spring training, producing a .150/.227/.250 batting line in his 44 plate appearances. While he drew four walks, he had just three extra base hits and struck out 15 times.

Kieboom is still just 23 years old and appears to have a bright future ahead. But based on his production, it is clear that his bat is not ready for the majors. He needs more time in Triple-A, just to get his confidence back if nothing else.

Carter Kieboom is still expected to be a key part of the Washington Nationals future. That future will have to wait as he is being sent to Triple-A to start the year.