Indians To Release Mark Reynolds

MONDAY: The Indians have requested release waivers on Reynolds for the purpose of granting him his unconditional release, according to Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer (Twitter link). Once Reynolds clears waivers, he will be eligible to sign with any team, and his new club will be responsible for only the pro-rated portion of the league minimum.

THURSDAY: The Indians have designated Mark Reynolds for assignment, according to MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli (on Twitter). Right-hander Preston Guilmet, who had a 1.95 ERA with 10.4 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 in 55 1/3 innings at Triple-A Columbus, will be recalled to take his roster spot.

Reynolds, 30, signed a one-year, $6MM contract with Cleveland this offseason after the Orioles declined his $11MM club option and non-tendered him in November. He earned $7.5MM last season, and MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz had projected Reynolds to earn $8.9MM through the arbitration process, so his contract with the Tribe represented a notable pay cut.

Reynolds sprinted out of the gates at a blazing pace this April, hitting .301/.368/.651 with eight homers on the month. Since May 1, however, the slugger is hitting just .187/.287/.282 with seven home runs in 289 plate appearances. The former 16th-round draft pick has never been able to recreate his 2009 breakout campaign with the D'Backs, during which he hit .260/.349/.543 with 44 homers and 24 stolen bases.