[ MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL ]
Santos ready to sign
with the Tribe today
Reid Santos will sign a professional contract with Cleveland today after being a draft-and-follow selection by the Indians in the Major League Baseball 2002 First-Year Player Draft.
The left-hander was drafted in the 23rd round by the Montreal Expos following his senior year at Castle High School, but opted to attend Saddleback Community College in California.
He was selected the following year in the 42nd round by the Texas Rangers, but did not sign. Instead, he had Tommy John surgery in June of 2001 and did not pitch in 2002.
Despite the inactivity, Cleveland picked Santos in the 13th round last year and made an attempt to sign him last summer, but were content to follow his progress at Saddleback this spring.
He saw duty in nine games for the Gauchos compiling a 3-0 record with a 3.12 earned run average.
"It was kind of a bit of a struggle this year. I don't think I was 100 percent most of the year so it was frustrating," said Santos who leaves for Florida tomorrow. "Toward the end of the season I felt I was getting back in shape and I needed that.
"I'm excited. I just want to get started and get my career going and see how it goes. I can't wait."
Cleveland scout Darren Chun said, "Reid has grown a lot since his Castle days. His mechanics are excellent, but he still needs to work on his velocity. If he is dedicated to being a pro baseball player, his velocity will come back. Some players who have Tommy John surgery come back better than before, which is why they are not afraid to cut these days."
Santos, now 6-foot-1 and 175 pounds, heads to the Indians' Winter Haven, Fla., spring training facility for a couple of weeks and will be assigned to Mahoning Valley (Niles, Ohio) in the short-season New York-Penn League that starts June 17.
