Nats sign Johnny Estrada

[PANatsFan]

It's a good signing because it's a 1-year deal, Flores isn't ready, and LoDuca comes with a bag full of question marks, only the latest of which is the surgery.  The team still has absolutely zero long-term solution at the catcher position; but in the meantime, Estrada can help hold things together through 2008 while Stan and Jim work on The Plan.  Keep your expectations low.  Estrada is a weak and inconsistent hitter with no power and no arm. 

That's why I like LoDuca better, he's a nice contact hitter.

[tomterp]

The team still has absolutely zero long-term solution at the catcher position...

You don't consider Flores the long term solution?  I do.

[PANatsFan]

You don't consider Flores the long term solution?  I do.

I see a complex high-five between Flores and Zimmerman after winning Game 7 of the WS

[sportsfan882]

Estrada is the biggest bum I have ever seen.  He is old, fat, slow and lazy. Pitchers hate him. I can't believe Flores isn't getting a fair shot. 

[Teddy-Roosevelt]

Flores could be the long term solution, but despite his years in the minors, he hasn't been a regular starter for a season and he hit .240 last year.  I imagine Jim and Stan are trying to buy themselves a year to figure out whether Flores is the long-term solution, or the long-term backup.

[sportsfan882]

Flores could be the long term solution, but despite his years in the minors, he hasn't been a regular starter for a season and he hit .240 last year.  I imagine Jim and Stan are trying to buy themselves a year to figure out whether Flores is the long-term solution, or the long-term backup.

Flores is the long term solution.  He outplayed an 8 year Vet in Schneider last season. Let's break Flores down:

-Cannon for an Arm; Great at throwing runners out
-Pitchers say he calls a good game and this was as a rookie
-Has definite power; I envision him as a 20-25 HR guy
-He is ultra-clutch; He came through over and over again in the late innings for us
-He has a good eye and is good at drawing walks
-He's only 23 years old

What else would you possibly want out of your catcher?

[Teddy-Roosevelt]

Not disagreeing, but obviously Nats management is on the same page -- Flores does not appear ready in 2008 to be the guy you hang your hat on for 162 games.

[tomterp]

Flores could be the long term solution, but despite his years in the minors, he hasn't been a regular starter for a season and he hit .240 last year.  I imagine Jim and Stan are trying to buy themselves a year to figure out whether Flores is the long-term solution, or the long-term backup.

Everything I've ever seen leads me to believe they consider him the long term #1.  Remember he was 22 and played A ball the year before, he'd never even played AA before, so hitting .240 in the majors all the while catching is not bad at all.  It's by no means certain he'll be a star player, but all indications are that he'll be a very solid major league catcher very soon.

[sportsfan882]

Not disagreeing, but obviously Nats management is on the same page -- Flores does not appear ready in 2008 to be the guy you hang your hat on for 162 games.

I don't agree with it but I can sort of understand it.  I mean before last season he had never played higher than A ball.  Playing a year of AAA ball would probably be beneficial for Jesus but I think he can make a decent contribution to our big league team this year.

[Dave B]

Not disagreeing, but obviously Nats management is on the same page -- Flores does not appear ready in 2008 to be the guy you hang your hat on for 162 games.

2008 is not long term

[Air Zimmerman]

plan B) we go with Flores and Estrada

i hope that's the case. i have a fantastic feeling that flores could be our own russell martin but we'll never know unless we give him a shot as a starter. jesus was incredibly impressive last year, and it would be an injustice to flores if he started the season in the minors next yr after all that he proved last yr. the kid is ready. now i wouldn't want him to go full blast and start 160 games like martin, i think 100+ games would be ideal. if we go into the season with lo duca and estrada as our two catchers we are in deep trouble.

[2k6nats]

i hope that's what this signifies. i have a fantastic feeling that flores could be our own russell martin but we'll never know unless we give him a shot as a starter. jesus was incredibly impressive last year, and it would be an injustice to flores if he started the season in the minors next yr after all that he proved last yr. the kid is ready. now i wouldn't want him to go full blast and start 160 games like martin, i think 100+ games would be ideal. if we go into the season with lo duca and estrada as our two catchers we are in trouble.

I completely disagree with all of this.

"if we go into the season with lo duca and estrada as our two catchers we are in trouble."

First off, let me say that I am Flores' #1 fan.  I love Flores about as much as you love Dukes, except I put the team's best interest above a player's best interest.  With that said, I don't think Flores is ready to catch 100+ games this year.  By ready, I mean performing at the level he has the potential to.  If he was to get the opportunity, I'd peg him at .260, 10 HR, 55 RBI, and having a good year behind the plate.  However, I believe LoDuca and Estrada can do better.  LoDuca is a great contact hitter at the catcher position, and for one year, is a rock solid investment.  I peg him starting 120 and posting .280, 5 HR, 60 RBI.  As for Estrada, I don't have nearly as much faith in him, but he should pan out to be one of the best backup catchers in the majors.  In 42, I peg him at .265, 5 HR, 20 RBI.  I believe that taking the load of 100+ games of his shoulders will do wonders for him, and return him to a level off the bench comparable with his Atlanta days.  Combined, I believe this duo will put up numbers comparable to .270, 10 HR, 80 RBI.

"it would be an injustice to flores if he started the season in the minors"

Now, the use of injustice here can be interpreted differently, so I'll come at it a few different ways.  First off, the thought that he earned his spot at catcher is rightful, and I personally agree that he did earn it.  However, if we can find two more experienced, veteran catchers to bridge the gap, then that only improves the team.  Therefore, no injustice has been done to the team.  Secondly, a year ago, Jesus Flores was in A ball.  AA was in the back of his mind; the majors a crazy dream.  I'm sure that he's very grateful for the opportunity, and more than willing to spend a year in AAA polishing his game to become the team's longterm fix for years to come.

"now i wouldn't want him to go full blast and start 160 games like martin"

Obviously you have the wrong idea about a catcher's body of work.  A catcher playing 120 games is a solid load to carry for any catcher, and I feel that kind of workload would be a heavy burden on Flores.  And just to put things in perspective, even if Flores caught 120 games, that would still mean LoDuca starting every fourth day.

"i have a fantastic feeling that flores could be our own russell martin"

What a coincidence; I have the same feeling.  Let me reiterate; Jesus Flores is my favorite National by far.  I have confidence that in time he will be a top-notch catcher.  However, I strongly feel that what's better for the team is LoDuca and Estrada to bridge the gap, and give him a workload that works for him in AAA.

By the way, although I don't like the way you convey your ideas and thoughts on this forum at all, I'm not simply antagonizing your thoughts; just conveying mine by comparison.

[Air Zimmerman]

I completely disagree with all of this.

"if we go into the season with lo duca and estrada as our two catchers we are in trouble."

First off, let me say that I am Flores' #1 fan.  I love Flores about as much as you love Dukes, except I put the team's best interest above a player's best interest.  With that said, I don't think Flores is ready to catch 100+ games this year.  By ready, I mean performing at the level he has the potential to.  If he was to get the opportunity, I'd peg him at .260, 10 HR, 55 RBI, and having a good year behind the plate.  However, I believe LoDuca and Estrada can do better.  LoDuca is a great contact hitter at the catcher position, and for one year, is a rock solid investment.  I peg him starting 120 and posting .280, 5 HR, 60 RBI.  As for Estrada, I don't have nearly as much faith in him, but he should pan out to be one of the best backup catchers in the majors.  In 42, I peg him at .265, 5 HR, 20 RBI.  I believe that taking the load of 100+ games of his shoulders will do wonders for him, and return him to a level off the bench comparable with his Atlanta days.  Combined, I believe this duo will put up numbers comparable to .270, 10 HR, 80 RBI.

"it would be an injustice to flores if he started the season in the minors"

Now, the use of injustice here can be interpreted differently, so I'll come at it a few different ways.  First off, the thought that he earned his spot at catcher is rightful, and I personally agree that he did earn it.  However, if we can find two more experienced, veteran catchers to bridge the gap, then that only improves the team.  Therefore, no injustice has been done to the team.  Secondly, a year ago, Jesus Flores was in A ball.  AA was in the back of his mind; the majors a crazy dream.  I'm sure that he's very grateful for the opportunity, and more than willing to spend a year in AAA polishing his game to become the team's longterm fix for years to come.

"now i wouldn't want him to go full blast and start 160 games like martin"

Obviously you have the wrong idea about a catcher's body of work.  A catcher playing 120 games is a solid load to carry for any catcher, and I feel that kind of workload would be a heavy burden on Flores.  And just to put things in perspective, even if Flores caught 120 games, that would still mean LoDuca starting every fourth day.

"i have a fantastic feeling that flores could be our own russell martin"

What a coincidence; I have the same feeling.  Let me reiterate; Jesus Flores is my favorite National by far.  I have confidence that in time he will be a top-notch catcher.  However, I strongly feel that what's better for the team is LoDuca and Estrada to bridge the gap, and give him a workload that works for him in AAA.

By the way, although I don't like the way you convey your ideas and thoughts on this forum at all, I'm not simply antagonizing your thoughts; just conveying mine by comparison.

wow, excellent essay!


i stand by my statement, if lo duca and estrada are our two catchers in the upcoming season we are in deep trouble and sending flores the minors would be an injustice. the "he needs to hone his craft in the minors" reasoning is ridiculous, he OWNED his craft last yr in the majors. the kid is ready for the lead role.

[PANatsFan]

Just a random speculation: What if Lo Duca were released or suspended due to Mitchell Report repercussions? Could Estrada be a hedge against that?

[spidernat]

Just a random speculation: What if Lo Duca were released or suspended due to Mitchell Report repercussions? Could Estrada be a hedge against that?

Nice thinking.

he OWNED his craft last yr in the majors. the kid is ready for the lead role.

The master of hyperbole.

[Dave B]

Flores' stats were:
.244 AVG  .310 OBP  .361 SLG   .671 OPS

He was considerably better against letfies, against whom he had about half his at bats.

a fulltime catcher would probably only have about a quarter of his at bats against lefties. if you re-weight his stats they become:

.232 AVG  .292 OBP  .329 SLG  .622 OPS.

He could stand to get a little better against righties and should probably attempt to do so in the minors daily

[Teddy-Roosevelt]

I think everybody agrees that Flores could be the future.  My only point was that the future isn't 2008, so it's good to have these other guys signed to 1-year deals.  Those of you singing Jesus's praises would probably be critical of the Bowden if he let the team enter the season without a single healthy catcher with more than 45 career major league hits. 

[tomterp]

Flores' stats were:
.244 AVG  .310 OBP  .361 SLG   .671 OPS

He was considerably better against letfies, against whom he had about half his at bats.

a fulltime catcher would probably only have about a quarter of his at bats against lefties. if you re-weight his stats they become:

.232 AVG  .292 OBP  .329 SLG  .622 OPS.

He could stand to get a little better against righties and should probably attempt to do so in the minors daily

This analysis is right on.

[ronnynat]

i hope that's the case. i have a fantastic feeling that flores could be our own russell martin but we'll never know unless we give him a shot as a starter. jesus was incredibly impressive last year, and it would be an injustice to flores if he started the season in the minors next yr after all that he proved last yr. the kid is ready. now i wouldn't want him to go full blast and start 160 games like martin, i think 100+ games would be ideal. if we go into the season with lo duca and estrada as our two catchers we are in deep trouble.

Flores is NOT Russell Martin! Do you know how rare a player like Martin is? Let's just hope for a good Jesus Flores in the future. I totally support moving him to the minors for a season. Two good hitting vets isn't too bad for this season at all. Plus, BOTH of em (Lo Duca and Estrada) know the division quite well.

[Kilgore Trout]

One of the interesting little side questions that the Estrada signing raises is: who gets removed from the 40-man roster? It's currently full. Can Jesus be optioned to the minors to open up the spot?

[blue911]

One of the interesting little side questions that the Estrada signing raises is: who gets removed from the 40-man roster? It's currently full. Can Jesus be optioned to the minors to open up the spot?

I think they'll put Ryan Wagner on the 60 day DL.

[2k6nats]

Air Zimmerman, when push comes to shove, Jesus Flores didn't do well in the major leagues, much less "own his craft".  A .240 BA?  .310 OBP?

[shoeshineboy]

This is a good move, and probably something that was likely even before LoDuca's injury. It allows Flores to spend the year in the minors where he belongs. And it now gives us a nice righty/lefty combo at catcher. We were lacking lefties and this helps. Also good insurance in case the Lo Duca thing becomes nagging (although I don't expect it.)

Interesting side note was the point about Estrada rejoining Corales. Acta wanted Lo Duca and Corales preferred Estrada. So that will be fun to watch. At least it creates some friendly competition.

[metssuck]

Matt LeCroy... Ah... The Crying Game.  You win the prize for identifying the catcher who is actually WORSE than Lo Duca and Estrada at throwing out base runners.  So bad that Frank Robinson had to remove him in the middle of an inning, and cried about having to do it, after the game.  Another winnable game that was lost.

(Image removed from quote.)

that happened in 06 but i remember it like it was yesterday...

[Obed_Marsh]

I think they'll put Ryan Wagner on the 60 day DL.

If no one goes on the DL. Ryan Langerhans seems expendable to me. That said, I don't pretend to understand the subtle implications of messing with the 40 man roster after the rule 5 draft.