--Updated 5:43 pm. Just recieved confirmation from the Nationals that Antonelli signed a triple-A contract without invite to major league spring training.
We're still trying to confirm this information, but according to his verified twitter account and theoretically "official" blog, former San Diego Padres second baseman Matt Antonelli has signed a free agent contract with the Washington Nationals.
We're still trying to confirm this information, but according to his verified twitter account and theoretically "official" blog, former San Diego Padres second baseman Matt Antonelli has signed a free agent contract with the Washington Nationals.
From the blog post:
Over the past week my agent has spoken with a bunch of different clubs about the possibility of me joining their team come February. It really is a interesting experience when you are a free agent and have to weight different options and ultimately decide where you are going to play. After looking through the potential destinations last night I decided this morning that my best opportunity was to sign with the Washington Nationals. I am really excited for Spring Training to get back to playing again and being a part of their team. It has been a while since I've had the chance to be out on a baseball field and I know it will feel great when I'm able to do it again, especially this time being fully healthy.
Again, we're trying to confirm this information with Nationals' officials.
Antonelli will be 26 in April. He was a once promising second base prospect in the San Diego organization, taken with the 17th overall pick in the 2006 MLB Amateur Draft by the Padres, and spent 21 games in 2008 at the big league level, hitting .192/.292/.281 in just 65 plate appearances. In five minor league seasons he hit .257/.369/.394 with 32 homers and 161 RBIs in 379 games.
His best minor league season was in 2007, split between A and AA ball, when he hit .307/.404/.491 with 21 homers and 78 RBIs.
Antonelli missed the entire 2010 season with a broken hamate bone in his left wrist and played in just 59 games in 2009 due to a leg injury.
