According to various reports, Fargoan Chris Coste is heading to the nation's capitol.
The 37-year-old Coste, hoping to play major league baseball for a fifth straight season, was picked up on waivers Monday by the Washington Nationals.
According to the Washington Post Web site, the Nationals claimed Coste from the New York Mets - a move aimed at shoring up their catching depth.
With Jesus Flores still rehabilitating his shoulder injury, the Post reports the Nationals needed an extra catcher in their organization behind Ivan Rodriguez and Wil Nieves.
The Mets have a glut of catchers in their spring-training camp, making Coste expendable. But Coste has an option remaining, so the Nationals will be able to send him to Class Triple-A Syracuse without the risk of losing him.
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Coste, who could not be reached for comment, played 88 games last season for the Philadelphia Phillies and Houston Astros - hitting .224 with a .618 on-base plus slugging percentage.
Coste, who won a World Series with the Phillies in 2008, agreed to terms with the Mets last December that guaranteed him a spot on their 40-player roster.
In 2006, Coste had a .328 batting average with the Phillies.
He followed that with .279 and .263 averages in 2007 and 2008. His career batting average is .272.
Coste, a Fargo South High School and Concordia College graduate, started his professional baseball career with the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks in 1996.
He spent seven years in the minor leagues with six different clubs before making his major league debut with the Phillies in 2006.
