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Hoffpauir signs with Washington
Jarrett Hoffpauir of Vidalia has signed a free agent contract with the Washington Nationals.
"I feel great about it," Hoffpauir said. "I think this is the type of team I need to be with. They are an up-and-coming team and they don't have any huge star. They need a utility-type guy and that's the role I am going to try to play this spring."
Hoffpauir admits he doesn't know a lot about the Nationals.
"I don't know anybody on the team because all of their Minor League teams were in different leagues from the leagues I played in," he said.
As for playing in the nation's capital?
"I know it is going to be cold the first couple of months, but I'm not going to let that bother me much," Hoffpauir said. "And hopefully I can get a chance to experience living in Washington for a while."
Washington's triple-A Minor League team is in Syracuse.
The Nationals exercised manager Davey Johnson's option for the 2012 season.
Johnson took over the position on an interim basis on June 26, three days after Jim Riggleman resigned. Washington went 40-43 under Johnson, finishing third in the National League East -- its highest finish since the team moved from Montreal after the 2004 season.
Johnson said being around people in the front office, the Minor League system and Major Leagues are the reasons he wanted to continue to manage the club. Johnson sees himself as a father figure to most of the young players.
In 2011, for the second time in his career, Johnson took a big league manager's job in the middle of a season.
Hoffpauir started out in the St. Louis organization after standout career with Southern Mississippi, and even played for the Cardinals two years ago.
After a short stint with Toronto, in which he competed with the Blue Jays, Hoffpauir was picked up by San Diego.
After a hot start in the preseason, Hoffpauir strained a quad muscle in his leg and was put on injured reserve.
Hoffpauir went through rehab and was sent down to the Padres' triple-A team in Tucson.
Hoffpauir put together a 16-game hitting streak and was hitting above .300 most of the season before finishing at .281.
"The biggest thing is getting another Big League invite," Hoffpauir said. "It's hard to get your foot back in the door once you have been there. I'm going to go into the same way I've gone into with other clubs, give everything I have, work hard and see what happens." |
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