Nationals Notebook: Agent Says Prospect May Be a Victim, Too

VIERA, Fla., Feb. 19 -- The player known as Esmailyn González was a fraud -- fake name, fake age. But Carlos Alvarez Daniel Lugo, who assumed the identity of González as he became a Washington Nationals millionaire signee, has certain characteristics that are true regardless of his name: He knows almost no English. He comes from poverty. He wanted very badly, more than anything, to play baseball.

Because of those factors, Alvarez's agent, Stanley King, said he believes that Alvarez "never wanted to defraud anyone. He was just under a tremendous amount of pressure to play baseball, and that's what happened. He is probably just another victim in this mess.

"I don't know where the origins of this thing are. It seems to me this thing is much too complicated and involved for a 19- or 20-year-old from an impoverished neighborhood to pull off. . . . He may have been duped as much as anyone."

On Thursday night, King, who did not represent his client at the time of his signing in July 2006, spoke to Alvarez by phone. The two spoke through an interpreter.

"He sounded remorseful," King said. "He sounded contrite. He sounded relieved, as if this weight had been lifted off of him."

King was uncertain about Alvarez's playing status, but expressed hope that the shortstop will be free to resume his career come March, when Washington's minor league prospects report for spring training. So far, King said, the Nationals have not spoken to him about trying to recoup any of the $1.4 million signing bonus, paid in 2006.

Hand Still a Concern

Shortstop Ian Desmond missed out on a full season in 2008 because of a stress fracture in his left hamate bone. Desmond, with Class AA Harrisburg at the time, had surgery in June. The 23-year-old, now on Washington's 40-man roster, arrived in spring training feeling no pain.

But the results of his routine physical indicated what one team official Thursday described as an "abnormal finding." In other words: Desmond's hand still shows the sign of a stress fracture.

"It either didn't heal correctly or it came back," Desmond said.

On Monday, Desmond will fly to Baltimore to see hand specialist Thomas Graham, who will determine the next step. The previous surgery was performed by Richard Barth.