David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes that 29 year-old reliever Chris Reitsma will not be returning to the Braves on a lesser contract. Yesterday we learned that the Marlins are not involved either. Six teams have made offers to Reitsma, and he’s well into negotiations with the Reds.
Reitsma formerly pitched in Cincinnati before he was traded to the Braves in March of 2004. He had elbow surgery in July and hopes to be ready by spring training. I’m no doctor, but I know that is different than Tommy John. Even in the midst of recent struggles, Reitsma has always gotten groundballs. He could be a setup candidate for the Reds or even force his way into an unstable closer situation.
