Estrada made his way through the Phillies minor league system, posting solid numbers at every stop along the way. He got called up to Philadelphia after starting catcher Mike Lierberthal was injured in May 2001. Estrada got the majority of the playing time behind the plate for the rest of 2001 and started solidly. He hit in 8 straight games in June, but his numbers fell off as the year went on.
Estrada finished 2001 with a .228 average with 8 HR and 37 RBI. In 2002, with Lierberthal healthy, Estrada was sent back to the minors and had a solid year in Scranton, hitting .279 with 11 home runs and 70 RBIs.
He was traded to the Atlanta Braves before the 2003 season when the Braves decided they could no longer afford starting pitcher Kevin Millwood, who was due a big pay raise in arbitration. Rather than lose him for nothing, the Braves sent him to Philadelphia. Millwood would have a forgettable career in Philadelphia except for a 2003 no-hitter, which I saw in person.
Estrada did well in a 2003 audition in Atlanta, hitting .306 in 16 games. Estrada became the Braves starting catcher in 2004 and had his best year ever. He hit .314 with 9 home runs and 76 RBI and made the All Star team. He homered twice in the NL playoffs against Houston. His numbers dipped in 2005, but he still hit a respectable .261 in 105 games. On June 6, 2005, Estrada was crushed in a home-plate collision by Darin Erstad and missed 5 games. He would later learn he had post-concussion syndrome.
He was traded again, this time being sent to Arizona, where he thrived, hitting .302 in 115 games in 2006. He was only there for a year, then it was off to Milwaukee. He hit .278 in 2007, was traded again, and ended up with the Nationals in 2008, where he was released midway through the 2008 season.
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