The Nationals continued their off-season trend of courting both young head cases and over-the-hill veterans yesterday in a deal that has fans buzzing. In their latest move, the Nats acquired second baseman Bret Boone from the Fort Meyers Retirement Castles of the Southeast Independent League in a blockbuster deal that saw the departure of former National RHP Pedro Astacio and 500 gallons of Mr & Mrs. T's brand Pina Colada mix.
Bret joins some very familiar faces in the Nationals organization. Younger brother Aaron, also a former All-Star, inked a one year, $1 million dollar deal earlier this off-season to backup Ryan Zimmerman and provide veteran leadership on a Nationals team crowded with young faces. Bret’s father, Nationals Assistant GM Bob Boone is thought to have played a key role in convincing his eldest son to return to the game he said he lost passion for.
"Physically, I can still do it," said the now 39 year old Bret Boone in his March 1, 2006 retirement announcement, “but I've lost the edge. I would look into the mirror and know I'd never get that edge back."*
Speculation is leading many in the Nationals community to conclude that this very lack of “edge” is what the club sought in adding another mediocre member of the Boone to the organization. On the condition of anonymity, a source close to the Nationals management said, “As you know, we were excited to get Elijah Dukes, but the guy’s kind of crazy. While Elijah’s only threatened to kill his ex-wife and kids with a gun so far, some folks [in the organization], well, they feel like he’s still capable of promising the death of his closest kin with a knife or other sharp-edged weapon.” The source added, “God forbid what would happen if he got his hands on a machete.”
Nationals GM Jim Bowden was unavailable for comment on the matter.
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