Nats trade Jerry Hairston to Milwaukee

Hairston signed a one-year, $2 million contract with Washington on Jan. 19. He batted .268 with a .342 on-base percentage and a .727 OPS. He appeared in 75 games and gave managers Davey Johnson – and Jim Riggleman before him – some versatility on the bench. He appeared in 43 games at third base primarily when Ryan Zimmerman was out for 58 games after abdominal surgery. Also spent time in center field, left field, second base and was even used at shortstop for the first time in his final game with Washington on Friday night against the Mets. No money changes hands in the deal and Milwaukee picks up the contract so the Nats save $704,000. All in all, the Nats pretty much got what they paid for in Hairston, who was also a positive, veteran presence in the clubhouse. He now joins a Brewers club that has a 1 ½ game lead in the N.L. Central and has an excellent shot at the postseason.

Komatsu was Milwaukee’s 14^th-ranked prospect prior to the season by Baseball America. He is 23, a 5-foot-10, 190-pound lefty. Drafted in the eighth round out of Cal-State Fullerton in 2008. Shook off an injury-plagued 2009 to bat .323 at high-A Brevard County last year with 17 home runs and 118 RBI. Had a .413 on-base percentage, too. And while his numbers at Double-A don’t exactly scream “star” he is reaching base at a .393 clip. Will have to get more info on him defensively because his power numbers aren’t going to play at a corner spot in the big leagues.

In 93 games with Double-A Huntsville in 2011 Komastsu is batting .294 with six home runs, 19 doubles, a triple and 40 RBI. But he obviously knows what he’s doing at the plate with 53 walks and just 44 strikeouts. Last year that was 68 walks and 61 strikeouts. Plate discipline doesn’t get much better than that. His on-base percentage is .393 and his OPS is .809. Komatsu has 13 stolen bases in 19 attempts. He was 28-for-37 in that category in Single-A.

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