Nationals sending Skole and Barrett to Arizona Fall League

By Byron Kerr

Nationals

September 10, 2012, 9:28am

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The Nationals have added third baseman Matt Skole and right-handed pitcher Aaron Barrett to their Arizona Fall League team, the Salt River Rafters, per a club source with knowledge of the situation. Skole and Barrett will still attend instructional league workouts, which begin September 15, in Viera, Fla., before they travel to Scottsdale, Ariz., for the AFL season. Skole was named the Nationals' minor league Player of the Year last week after hitting 27 homers and 104 RBIs for low Single-A Hagerstown and high Single-A Potomac in 2012. The Nationals are very excited about his progress offensively and defensively this season and want to see him play against the major's best prospects on a national stage. Barrett went 3-2 with a 2.09 ERA in 42 games between Hagerstown and Potomac, striking out 73 batters in 51 2/3 innings with 17 saves. He was a ninth-round selection in 2010 out of the University of Mississippi. The Rafters' workouts begin Oct. 3 and their first game is Oct. 9.