"Villalona might return once lawsuit is resolved

Overcoming long odds, it appears that one-time highly regarded first base prospect Angel Villalona, whom the Giants signed to a then-record $2.1 million bonus in 2006 when he was just 16, might be rejoining the organization after murder charges against him in his native Dominican Republic were dropped recently.

Villalona, now 21, was charged with the murder of a man in a Dominican nightclub in September 2009. He was on the disabled list with the Single-A San Jose Giants at the time and was allowed to return home to visit his mother.

Staci Slaughter, the Giants' senior director of communications, said Friday it was her understanding that the charges against Villanova were dropped in December or January. Villalona's return to baseball, however, was held up by a lawsuit he filed against the Giants last month asking for $10,800 in back pay and $5 million in punitive damages.

Slaughter said the Giants' legal counsel is in the process of resolving that lawsuit with Villalona's representatives. She added that if the suit is resolved, Villalona could be reinstated into San Francisco's minor league system and be assigned to the organization's Dominican academy.

When asked how soon that might take place, Slaughter said, "I'm told in the coming days or weeks.""