Former Tampa Bay Rays prospect Elijah Dukes is headed for the unemployment line after being released by the Washington Nationals on Wednesday.
Dukes was expected to start the regular season as the Nationals’ every-day right fielder, so the decision to let him go was surprising. The 25-year-old hit .250 with a .730 OPS in 364 at-bats last year, but once was among the most coveted prospects in baseball because of his five-tool potential.
Since being selected by the Rays with the 74th overall pick in the 2002 amateur draft, Dukes has amassed a .280 average and .820 OPS over 1,631 minor league at-bats. He also has stolen 98 bases in 465 career minor league games, and was previously considered a perennial 20-homer, 20-steal threat.
In 824 major league at-bats, Dukes has hit .242 with 31 home runs. He also holds the distinction of homering in his first big league at-bat — a solo shot off the Yankees’ Carl Pavano on April 2, 2007.
Dukes’ reputation with the Rays was stained by a bevy of character issues. He reportedly has been arrested three times for assault and once for battery, and fathered five children with four different women from 2003 to 2006.
Dukes was traded to the Nationals in 2007, and Washington hired a former police officer to supervise him in hopes of preventing future run-ins with the law. However, according to Nationals president Stan Kasten via the team’s official Twitter account, Wednesday’s release was not triggered by off-the-field issues.
Because of Dukes’ perceived upside, he is likely to find at least a couple of teams that are willing to overlook his checkered past and attempt to salvage his career. Dukes is athletic enough to play any of the three outfield positions, and his rare blend of power and speed could offer a dynamic element to a team’s lineup.
Based purely on speculation, the Mets (who will be without Carlos Beltran for the early part of the season), Cardinals (who may need a right-handed platoon partner for Colby Rasmus if the youngster continues to struggle against left-handers) and Giants (who are continually searching for offensive help) are three possible destinations for Dukes. But he probably will have to settle for a minor league deal and earn his way back to The Show.
