The Washington Nationals ran into quite a snag when their starting catcher Jesus Flores injured his right shoulder. The backup role was filled by a mixture of Wil Nieves and Josh Bard.
In an effort to fill the starting role in case Flores can’t go, the Nationals signed former AL MVP and future Hall-of-Famer Ivan Rodriguez. Rodriguez signed a 2-year, $6 million contract.
Although it is obviously safe to say that Rodriguez is a big upgrade from Nieves/Bard, I am curious to see how Rodriguez will do with Washington. Do you think Rodriguez is better than Flores even at age 38? You have to remember that Rodriguez was once one of the best defensive and offensive catchers in the MLB.
One Comment
This moves makes no sense for the Nationals. Why they would want an over-the-hill catcher with no reputation for developing pitchers – or mentoring young catchers – is beyond me.