Nationals Farm Authority does its usual excellent job keep abreast of goings on below the major-league level. The latest update mentions Johnny Estrada - the $1.25 million half of the DynamicDudDuo - finishing his rehab assignment.
That is causing me considerable distress as I frantically check here and there to see what the Nats will do with him.
There's no way they'll keep him. Is there? IS there? No offense Johnny E., but that's a contract that has to be eaten and eaten now.
We know the No. 1 catcher now and for the foreseeable future. Nieves is a better backup choice than Estrada because he's much better behind the plate and his hitting is at least tolerable. LoDuca, the major portion of the $6.25 DDD, fills a utility role - how well is a question but he fills it and I don't have a problem with him on the roster in that role.
Where does Estrada fit? I'm not sure he did before he was signed but I'm damn sure he doesn't 96 games into the season.
I hope my joy over the Hood signing doesn't dissolve into anger with news that Estrada is on the 25-man.
5 comments:
If the Nats dump Nieves to keep Estrada, I will explode.
It would never happen, but I wonder if Estrada would be any worse as a fill-in first basemen than LoDuca. I'd rather eat LoDuca's contract and send him on his way, not that it matters.
I think LoDuca brings more - he has been a multi-time all-star and his teams win and he has some red ass.
I think they get more out of him the rest of the way, in clubhouse and out, than they do for Estrada. I just don't see anything that Estrada could bring right now.
Big picture, though: Estrada or Nieves the rest of the way, does it really matter? This much I know: Lo Duca won't get moved. Can you think of a team that would even bother with him at this point? (And you've probably already seen this from yesterday's Miami Herald (via MLB Trade Rumors), claiming the Marlins have no interest in him.) I think we're stuck with him, for better or for worse. Might be for the better, just because of the aforementioned red ass factor. Might come in handy in September.
The Nats.com story about Pena's surgery indicates they will keep Estrada on the 25-man and have four catchers - though LoDuca is apparently now considered more OF/1B/utility.
I simply can't believe there's no one in the system who will give them more than Estrada appears capable of giving at this point.
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