Search
DCist Logo

Esmailyn "Smiley" Gonzalez

All Stories

Feb 19, 2009

Maybe the Nats Should Start Carding Players

Several news outlets are reporting that Nationals shortstop prospect Esmailyn “Smiley” Gonzalez, whom the team signed for a $1.4 million bonus (a franchise record for an international signing), apparently lied about his name and age to the organization. “Smiley” is actually Carlos Alvarez Daniel Lugo, and a Major League Baseball investigation revealed he was 19, not 16, as the Nats thought when they signed him in 2006. “I’m angry. I’m very angry. We’ve been defrauded,”…

 
Terms of Use |WAMU Privacy Notice
WAMU 88.5 | American University RadioMailing Address: PO Box 98101 | Washington, DC 20090-8101
Station Address: 4401 Connecticut Ave, NW | Washington, DC 20008 |
Combined Federal Campaign (CFC): #91855
© 2026 All Rights Reserved.