From Nats.com:
The Nationals compared his glove to Ozzie Smith and say he could potentially have the bat of a Miguel Tejada. . . .
Both Bowden and Kasten said there were opposing teams who tried to sabotage them from signing Gonzalez. They would not name the organizations in question, but Kasten said the Nationals are considering taking the matter to the league office.
An intriguing prospect and a little bit of intrigue! What could be finer?
Okay, I'll fess up: I've got no idea who the hell Esmailyn Gonzalez is, though I'll get in on the ground floor here and say:
- Esmailyn is one awesome first name;
- His nickname, "Smiley," is also awesome; and
- At the going rate of $1.4 million, he has to be one hell of an awesome prospect.
So this is what Stan Kasten is talking about when he says money will be spent on the future? If so, I'm quite impressed. Of course, that's no guarantee Smiley will pan out way, way down the road, but it's a sign that Kasten has the eyes on the prize, the skills to pay the bills, etc.
Actually, the hat-tip apparently goes to Jose Rijo, as Smiley:
Come to think of it, Smiley's advisor has an awesome name, too. I heartily approve of this, all the way around.