Nationals' Zimmerman: 'I wasn't the best choice to play 3rd base'

Ryan Zimmerman's diminished defensive skills have finally forced the long-time third baseman off the hot corner. Lucky for him, there's a vacancy directly across the diamond.

"It's obviously different when you hear it," Zimmerman told MLB Network Radio on Thursday about the position change. "But to be honest with you, I'm really excited about it."

The departure of Adam LaRoche - who agreed to a two-year pact with the Chicago White Sox - opened the door for Zimmerman to make his way back into the lineup and assume the starting first base job.

The 30-year-old was once considered among the game's top defenders at his position, but shoulder issues have made it increasingly difficult for him to throw the ball with any measure of efficiency. Advanced metrics rated the 10-year veteran poorly the last several seasons, but he's hoping his reflexes and glove work still play on the right side of the field.

"I wasn't the best choice to play third base for this team," Zimmerman said, "and I'm looking forward to (moving) over to first."

Anthony Rendon now inherits full-time hot corner duties, and has the bat and glove to stick there as a perennial All-Star. It makes the Nationals' lineup that much more scary.

Zimmerman's offense should help mitigate any learning curve he encounters at the new position. The right-handed-hitting slugger clubbed at least 25 homers in four of his last six seasons, and has been 20 percent more valuable offensively than the average player since 2012 after adjusting for league and park factors.