Nationals to sign catcher Estrada

Nationals to sign catcher Estrada
Switch-hitting veteran gives Washington options on offense

WASHINGTON -- Looking to bolster their offense even more, the Nationals agreed to terms on a $1.25 million contract with catcher Johnny Estrada, pending a physical, according to a baseball source.

When reached for comment Tuesday morning, Nationals general manager Jim Bowden would not confirm or deny the report.

The baseball source insisted that signing Estrada is not a reaction to Paul Lo Duca's left knee surgery (Lo Duca is expected to be out four to six weeks). The move was made because the Nationals are heavy on right-handed bats. Estrada, 31, is a switch-hitter and more successful from the left side of the plate. In the last three years, in fact, Estrada hit .282 against right-handed pitching. Lo Duca is a .278 hitter during that same period.

Estrada was close to signing with the Pirates, but picked the Nationals instead. It helps that he will be reunited with bench coach Pat Corrales and team president Stan Kasten. The trio worked together when they were members of the Braves and sources have indicated that Estrada has had a great working relationship with Corrales.

It was in Atlanta where Estrada had his biggest success. In 2004, for example, Estrada had his best season, hitting .314 with nine home runs and a career-high 76 RBIs. He was an All-Star and won the Silver Slugger Award that same season. Estrada is a lifetime .280 hitter in seven big league seasons.

Signing Estrada at this late date is similar to when infielders Ronnie Belliard and Dmitri Young became members of the Nationals last February. The market dropped for Estrada and the Nationals were willing to take a chance on him.

The Nationals will be Estrada's fourth team in four years. Last year, he played for the Brewers and hit .278 with 10 home runs and 54 RBIs. After the season, Milwaukee traded Estrada to the Mets for reliever Guillermo Mota. But after they acquired catcher Brian Schneider from the Nationals as part of a trade for outfielder Lastings Milledge, the Mets decided to non-tender Estrada.

With Estrada on board, it will most likely mean that backup catcher Jesus Flores will start the season in the Minor Leagues. Both Bowden and manager Manny Acta have said in the past that they do not want Flores to spend another year on the bench.

A Rule 5 Draft pick, Flores impressed the Nationals during his rookie season. He hit .244 with four home runs and 25 RBIs, and found himself in a platoon with Schneider during the month of September.

"He is going to develop into a No. 1 catcher," Bowden said back in December. "In an ideal world, do I think a player that was in Class A ball, in the Rule 5 Draft and went to the big leagues as a backup catcher should be thrown in the No. 1 role? No, I don't think that is the best way to develop a player."