Flores avoids arbitration, inks one-year deal with Nats

By Pete Kerzel

Nationals

January 16, 2012, 10:42am

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The Nationals have avoided arbitration with catcher Jesus Flores, signing him to a one-year contract. The news was issued in this tweet from the team's public relations department. Flores will receive $815,000, a modest raise from his 2011 salary of $750,000. He can earn another $50,000 in bonuses tied to games played. The 27-year-old Flores hit .209 with one homer and two RBIs in 30 games with Washington last season, finally returning to the majors after missing most of two campaigns with a series of shoulder injuries. Flores is slated to back up Wilson Ramos in 2012. Flores' signing leaves five arbitration-eligible Nationals who will try to work out deals with the team before going through the contentious arbitration process: left-handers John Lannan and Tom Gorzelanny; right-handers Jordan Zimmermann and Tyler Clippard; and first baseman/outfielder Michael Morse. Players have until noon tomorrow to exchange salary figures with their teams, and if no deals are reached, they'll proceed to February arbitration hearings in St. Petersburg, Fla.