Posted at 12:10 p.m., Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Baseball: Nationals, C Lo Duca reach $5M, 1-year deal
By HOWARD FENDRICH
AP Sports Writer
The team planned a news conference later today to announce the signing.
Lo Duca, a free agent who played for the New York Mets the past two seasons, gives the Nationals a veteran to replace Brian Schneider behind the plate. Washington traded Schneider and outfielder Ryan Church to the Mets last month in the deal that sent outfielder Lastings Milledge to the Nationals.
A four-time All-Star from 2003-06, Lo Duca hit .272 with nine homers and a .311 on-base percentage last season that was the lowest of any Mets regular — and lower than Schneider's .326. Both Lo Duca and Schneider drove in 54 runs.
Lo Duca, who will turn 36 during the first month of the season, and Nationals manager Manny Acta were in New York together in 2006, when Acta was the Mets third-base coach.
In 10 major league seasons with the Dodgers, Marlins and Mets, Lo Duca has batted .288 with 80 homers and 466 RBIs.
