The rest of the world has had 100+ years to laugh at the Cubs. Thus, I feel no guilt or regret in thoroughly laughing at the Nationals for this boner.
A top Washington Nationals prospect and recipient of the largest international signing bonus in team history is not who he appeared to be. Esmailyn Gonzalez, who is listed as 19 years old on the team’s roster, is actually 23-year-old Carlos Alvarez Daniel Lugo, four sources have told SI.com.
The Nationals, owned by the Lerner family, gave the shortstop from the Dominican Republic a $1.4 million signing bonus on July 2, 2006, and trumpeted his arrival as a sign of their commitment to acquiring top-tier talent.
Ouch. Can you imagine if one of the Cubs, let’s call him Malfonso Moriano, was a trumpeted ridiculostud of a 26-year old, and then suddenly it was revealed that he was actually 28?
Oh, wait. Well, at least that one didn’t technically happen to the Cubs, either.