The Washington Nationals have signed 2B Adam Kennedy, tweets Bill Ladson of MLB.com. With Christian Guzman still on the team, and now likely to remain as the full-time short stop, the addition of Kennedy effectively blocks 2B/SS prospect Ian Desmond, at least for the first part of 2010.
Desmond played shortstop almost exclusively in the minors, but saw action at SS, 2B, and RF during his brief call-up with the Nationals last September. Desmond's speed could allow him to be an effective outfielder, but his bat plays better at a middle infield position. He is a career .259/.326/.388 hitter in the minors, but broke out in 2009 batting .330/.401/.477 while splitting time between Double and Triple-A. He showed even more power during his call-up, hitting 7 doubles and 4 home runs in only 82 AB's.
Desmond could still make the Nationals out of Spring Training, but with less than 200 AB's above Double-A and two veterans blocking his playing time, Desmond may be best served heading back to Triple-A for some more seasoning.
