Nationals sign closer Matt Capps to one-year contract

Posted on December 24, 2009

Matt Capps of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitches against the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park in San Francisco, CA on June 11, 2006. (Photo by Brad Mangin)

 

The Washington Nationals have gone nuts this off season wheeling and dealing and they continued today when they made a Christmas Eve deal to sign former Pittsburgh Pirates closer Matt Capps to a one-year deal for $3.5 million. I know what you are saying. “Matt who?”. You are not alone. When you spend a few years pitching for the Pirates not many people are going to know your name. The 26-year-old Capps had 27 saves for the Bucs in 2009 to go along with a 4-8 record and a 5.80 ERA.

Capps will step into the closer role for the Nationals, who have already added newcomers Jason Marquis and Ivan Rodriguez to their club in free agent signings. Because he pitched for the Pirates I hardly ever got a chance to see Capps pitch, let alone photograph him. Since the Pirates train in Florida and only come out to the Bay Area once a year to play the Giants I don’t get much of an opportunity to shoot their ballplayers. Luckily I was able to shoot Capps this past July during a day game in San Francisco. Now I will need to shoot him with the Nationals when they come to the Bay Area in 2010.