Leake is Reds 5th starter
The fifth starter has been determined. It’s Mike Leake, although the Reds have not announced anything.
Travis Wood learned first and returned to the clubhouse and started packing his stuff. About five minutes later, Leake walked back from his meeting trying to contain his smile. He and Wood bumped fists.
Leake confirmed he was given the good news.
“It’s kind of surreal right now,” Leake said. “It has to soak in a little.”
Leake, the eighth overall pick last summer, will be the first drafted pitcher to skip the Minor Leagues since Darren Dreifort of the Dodgers in 1994.
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Players have taken the field for stretching/BP. Still in the clubhouse packing up their stuff was Aaron Miles, Wilkin Castillo, Chris Burke and Wladimir Balentien. Again, nothing has been announced. It would appear that Miles was released, which means the club is eating his $2.7 million salary for 2010.
Mark Sheldon
I like a lot of the gutsy decisions. However, I think they’ll regret not keeping Balentien. He seems to have awesome upside and he had a solid spring. I would have let Nix out instead.