Washington Nationals Sign Bret Boone to a Non-Guaranteed Minor League Contract
This morning, the Washington Nationals signed Bret Boone to a non-guaranteed minor league deal.
One of the best second baseman in the late 1990’s to the early part of this decade, he’s been out of baseball since 2006.
A three-time All-Star, he’s got a .266 career batting average to go with 252 home runs and 1021 RBI.
In his 14 year career, Boone had spent time with Cincinnati, Seattle, San Diego, Atlanta and Minnesota.
He’s the brother of Aaron Boone, who signed with Washington in the offseason, and the son of Bob Boone, major league veteran and current special assistant to General Manager Jim Bowden.
Bret Boone will not be on the 40-man roster, but will go through the accelerated spring camp in Viera, Florida starting next week.
This move is a low-risk, high-reward deal, as Boone is 39, and obviously has been away from the game for a few years as a player.
Washington is looking to find lightning in a bottle twice, as Dmitri Young became an integral part of the team under similar circumstances last season.
There’s obviously a connection with the team through his father and brother along with Jim Bowden, whom he played for in Cincinnati.
If Boone makes the squad, it would most likely in a reserve role; however, if he’s got some pop left in his bat and his skills are somewhat sharp, he could great bat off the bench, but could also be source of guidance for the young players on the roster.
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