February 16, 2010
Incredibly, Taveras Signs
By
Amanda
Posted at 10:14 pm
If the Washington Nationals have contributed nothing else to this game, they’ve given even the crappiest former-Reds (and some good ones, too) the opportunity to stay on the field far longer than they would have otherwise.
The latest case-in-point, Willy Taveras. The deal must not be announced yet, but SI.com is reporting:
Willy Taveras has signed a minor-league contract with the Washington Nationals, SI.com has confirmed. According to the AP, the deal is worth $400,000.
Dude, *I* don’t even make that much!
I love Washington’s boundless optimism, ever hopeful that THIS will be the ex-Red who finally puts them over the top. After this season, I hope they’ll be looking to add Dusty Baker to the payroll.
Yes but we know he is a fourth outfielder. It took the Reds 438 atbats to sort through that when Drew Stubbs could hardly have been any worse.
Calling Willy Taveras a “fourth outfielder” is a stretch, unless you were referring to in the minor leagues. Maybe in AAA, he’d be a serviceable 4th man.
Taveras’ OPS+ last year was 48–100 is average. I’m quite sure it’ll take quite a miracle for the Nationals to get anything back from their $400,000 investment.
Just to be clear Mama, Taveras was signed to a minor league deal and gets major league minimum–$400,000–only if he makes the mlb roster. Regardless your keen eye for talent Zeldink, I assume he has a shot to make the 25-man roster in DC, although there is no lock that says he will. I think the Reds paid him considerably more than mlb minimum for 438 reserve outfielder atbats. He will be making much more than $400k courtesy of the A’s who must pay him $3.6 million whether he plays in Syracuse or DC, that courtesy of the contract the Reds signed him to and the A’s assumed in the trade late last season. That is what I understand to be the facts of the case, but I am always open to correction.
Hi, Ted,
Welcome to the wonderful world of commenting on RHM. It’s a pleasure to have you here.
If I implied that the Reds were at all smart in their dealings with Taveras, I apologize. That isn’t at all what I was going for.