The MLB Rule 5 draft will take place on Thursday December 7. Presently the Nationals have two open spots on their 40-man roster, so they can participate in the draft if they choose.
In the days leading up to the draft, I’m going to profile a few of the more interesting names the Nationals may consider.
Jamie D’Antona is a 2003 second round selection from the Arizona Diamondbacks. After his drafting, he (277/356/517) joined fellow Arizona prospects Conor Jackson (319/410/533) and Carlos Quentin (310/428/562) as the “Three Amigos” who dominated the California League in 2004. While Jackson (140 games) and Quentin (57) have made the major leagues, D’Antona has struggled to make it above AA.
| Year | Team | Age | Level | Pos | G | AB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Yakima | 21 | A- | 3b | 70 | 271 | 35 | 60 | 0.277 | 0.356 | 0.517 |
| 2004 | Lancaster | 22 | A+ | 3b | 68 | 273 | 16 | 36 | 0.315 | 0.353 | 0.531 |
| El Paso | 22 | AA | 3b | 19 | 71 | 2 | 16 | 0.211 | 0.230 | 0.282 | |
| 2005 | Tennessee | 23 | AA | 3b-1b | 125 | 410 | 44 | 67 | 0.249 | 0.322 | 0.385 |
| 2006 | Tennessee | 24 | AA | 3b | 126 | 461 | 54 | 88 | 0.310 | 0.382 | 0.484 |
Why would the Nationals be interested in D’Antona?
First, the 24-year old D’Antona has played both 3B and 1B and would provide a welcome presence off of the bench as a power bat (he still has plus power) for the Nationals. He would allow Manny Acta to rest Ryan Zimmerman who played 157 games at 3B in 2006 as well as provide a RH complement to 1B Nick Johnson. His strong arm would allow him to be a serviceable defensive replacement. Additionally, D’Antona began to play some games at catcher in 2006 and continued that in the Arizona Fall League. He could provide a backup to Brian Schneider as a RH platoon bat if they believe Brandon Harper is not the best choice. In 2006, D’Antona batted 367/450/592 in 196 AB versus LHP with 30 strikeouts and 31 walks.
Another reason? The man who was responsible for drafting D’Antona in Arizona is currently the Assistant GM and Vice President of Baseball Operations for the Nationals, Mike Rizzo. Rizzo should be aware of D’Antona’s abilities better than almost anyone else and if the past is any indicator, he is not shy in recommending former Diamondbacks for acquisition by the Nationals (LHP Matt Chico, RHP Garrett Mock, and CA Juan Brito).
D’Antona could provide a flexibility off of the bench and is still young enough to fit into the Nationals development plans.
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