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Nationals sign veteran lefty Estes
Hurler reportedly inked to Minor League dealBy Alden Gonzalez / MLB.com
02/05/10 11:54 PM ET
After picking up a new second baseman in Adam Kennedy on Friday, the Nationals have also signed veteran left-hander Shawn Estes to a Minor League contract, according to The Associated Press.Estes, who didn't pitch in the big leagues last season, will get $600,000 plus a possible $400,000 in performance bonuses if he's added to the club's 40-man roster, The AP added.
Estes made 13 starts for the Dodgers' Triple-A affiliate in Albuquerque, N.M., this past season, going 3-4 with a 3.07 ERA, before semi-retiring in June because he said he didn't want to pitch in Triple-A.
The California native has appeared in just 10 Major League games over the past four seasons and sports a career 101-93 record with a 4.71 ERA for seven teams in 13 years in the big leagues.
Originally the 11th overall pick by the Mariners in the 1991 First-Year Player Draft, Estes' best year came during his only All-Star season while with the Giants in '97, when he finished 19-5 with a 3.18 ERA.
Alden Gonzalez is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
