Nationals sign Shawn Estes

The Washington Nationals signed left-handed pitcher Shawn Estes to a minor league contract according to Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com.  Estes will make $600,000 plus possibly $400,000 more in performance bonuses if he makes the major league club.  Estes spent all of 2009 in Triple-A where he went 3-4 with a 3.07 ERA.  He stopped in June because he did not have interest in pitching in the minor leagues.